Judy Smith
Showing 1–3 of 3 transcripts.
- a16z27 min
a16z Podcast | Crisis Time -- What to Do When Things Go Sideways
Margit Wennmachers, Judy Smith, Michael Copeland
The discussion defines a crisis as an event threatening brand reputation and emphasizes that 75% to 80% of organizations recover more effectively through pre-established plans and a transparent internal culture. It outlines a strategic framework for responding to incidents like data breaches or product failures by prioritizing immediate fact-gathering, authentic apologies from top leadership, and proactive disclosure of security limitations. Finally, the presentation highlights post-crisis analysis as a critical opportunity to refine organizational systems, noting that successful recovery often depends on admitting faults and implementing substantive corrective actions.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Leadership on the Front Lines
Joel Kurtzman, Nikesh Arora, Eric Cantor, Sherry Lansing, Judy Smith, Don Peebles
A panel of prominent leaders from government, business, and non-profit sectors, including Nikesh Arora and Sherry Lansing, established that effective leadership requires pairing inherent passion with learnable execution skills to inspire followers toward transformative goals. The discussion highlighted how digital acceleration has compressed decision-making timelines while democratizing global opportunity, necessitating greater authenticity and strategic self-discipline to navigate instant scrutiny and crisis. Ultimately, the experts concluded that true leadership is defined by character and the ability to convert individual drive into a collective vision that empowers others to act despite internal fears or external pressures.
- Milken Institute59 min
Crisis Management and Communications
Susan Gilchrist, Frank Luntz, Judy Smith, Myles Nadal
This analysis identifies three fundamental shifts in the 21st-century crisis landscape—eroding institutional trust, hyper-connected information flow, and anti-authority public sentiment—that demand immediate, transparent CEO leadership. Expert recommendations emphasize a four-step human-centric apology framework and proactive content creation to navigate the permanent public record established by social media, warning that legal caution often exacerbates reputational damage. Case studies of Goldman Sachs, Nike, and Netflix demonstrate that while rapid admission of error can restore consumer loyalty, successful long-term reputation repair requires a decade of substantive operational transformation rather than mere media management.