What can brands learn from the real-life ‘scandal’ fixer? The Drum sits down with the American crisis manager at Cannes Lions.

February 26, 2025
Read it all on The Drum

The Drum sat down with crisis manager Judy Smith at Cannes Lions to explore what brands can learn from the real-life inspiration behind Scandal’s Olivia Pope, and the throughline is clear: today’s risk environment moves faster, hits harder, and is inseparable from culture – so leaders need sharper situational awareness, real preparation, and the discipline to listen before they react; Smith shares how she helps executives identify their “nightmare scenarios” before they happen, why some controversies require a response while others are best met with strategic restraint, and what credibility looks like when a brand genuinely misses the mark.

Judy Smith — inspiration for ‘Scandal’ TV series — on her path to the White House
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From riding past in her father’s taxicab to working inside the Oval Office, crisis management expert Judy Smith tells the little-known story of her path to becoming the first Black woman to brief the White House press corps. Smith, CEO of Smith & Company and the inspiration for Shonda Rhimes’s hit series “Scandal,” tells Yahoo

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The Board’s Role in Navigating Political Risk
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Erin Essenmacher argues that political risk has become a defining boardroom challenge, and she spotlights Judy Smith as one of the most credible voices on how leaders should navigate it. Smith’s perspective centers on disciplined situational awareness and a clear-eyed read of culture and stakeholders, the kind of judgment that helps organizations move decisively without