Chip Smith

Chip Smith is an American businessman, corporate adviser and political strategist. He was the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at 21st Century Fox[1] until its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company in 2019. A long-time political adviser, Smith served as chief of staff and deputy campaign manager for Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and then in 2001 co-founded The Glover Park Group where he was the CEO until 2016. He became the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for 21st Century Fox in July 2016.[2][3][4] He has been featured as an expert by publications, television networks, and broadcast programs including Anderson Cooper 360°, Fox News, and MSNBC.

For the German criminal who used the alias Chip Smith, see Christian Gerhartsreiter.
Chip Smith
Chip Smith, EVP of Public Affairs for 21st Century Fox
Born
Atlanta, GA
NationalityAmerican
OccupationExecutive Vice President of Public Affairs
Employer21st Century Fox
Known forCo-founder of The Glover Park Group, Chief of staff for Al Gore's 2000 Presidential Campaign
TitleEVP of Public Affairs, 21st Century Fox

Education

Smith attended the Lawrenceville School and graduated in 1986.[5] Smith graduated from Colby College in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in American Studies.[6][7][8] He earned an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.[7]

Early career

Soon after graduating from Colby, Smith oversaw the advance team for Senator Bob Kerrey during his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992.[6][8] Smith coordinated more than 1,000 student workers for the campaign.[6][9] He then worked for Senator Wyche Fowler as a legislative assistant.[7]

In 1995, he joined Robert Shrum and Tad Devine as they started media consulting firm Shrum, Devine & Donilon. Smith’s kitchen served as the firm’s first office.[10] Smith became an executive vice president for the firm, a role in which he created and produced advertising for political campaigns.[7]

Smith left political work in 1996 to become chief of staff to the president and chief executive officer of MCI Inc.[11] He led internal and external communications for the company until his departure in 2000.[7]

Smith then joined Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign as chief of staff and deputy campaign manager. He managed all day-to-day operations out of the campaign’s Nashville headquarters.[12][13][14] Alongside Donna Brazile, Smith also headed the "war room," Gore's committee for operations, communications, and outreach during the Florida election recount.[12]

The Glover Park Group

Smith founded The Glover Park Group in 2001 with Joe Lockhart and former Gore campaign colleagues Carter Eskew and Michael Feldman.[11][15][16] The firm began its operations in the Glover Park neighborhood of Washington D.C. and specializes in political communications, public relations, and advertising.[16] Smith has served as the managing director and COO of the firm.[17] He was the agency's CEO from early 2007 until 2016.[7][18]

In 2006, Smith was involved in securing an investment in The Glover Park Group from private equity firm Svoboda, Collins Fund in order to expand business operations.[17] The Glover Park Group was acquired by WPP plc in 2011, but Smith continued in his position.[15][16][18]

21 Century Fox

In May 2016, Smith was tapped to serve as the head of public affairs for 21st Century Fox. He began the position in July 2016 and was in charge of overseeing worldwide legislative, regulatory and strategic policy for the company.[2] While based in Washington, D.C. and New York City, he oversaw the policy offices of the company in the United States, Hong Kong, Brussels and the UK.[19] He was a member of the senior leadership team and reported to Fox CEO James Murdoch and co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch.[1]

Other activities

In 2006, Smith co-founded an interactive bipartisan political website called HotSoup.com with his Glover Park Group partners and former Republican political advisors Mark McKinnon and Matthew Dowd. The site intended to have a networking component and feature community leaders of all political affiliations.[20][21][22]

Smith has been featured as an expert in The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC.com,[23] The Washington Times,[24] the Chicago Tribune,[25] and AP Online.[26] He has also appeared as a commentator on television and radio programs, including MSNBC, NBC News, Anderson Cooper 360°, Fox News, and Polioptics.[11][27][28]

Smith serves on the Board of Trustees for Colby College,[29] the Board of Directors for the Motion Picture Association of America,[30] the Governing Board for The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation[31] and the Board of The Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation.[32] He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two children.[33]

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References
  1. Littleton, Cynthia. "21st Century Fox Taps Glover Park Group's Chip Smith to Head Public Affairs". Variety. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  2. Barnes, Brooks; Steele, Emily. "Murdoch Brothers' Challenge: What Happens Next at Fox News?". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  3. "21st Century Fox Executive Team". 21st Century Fox. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  4. Busch, Anita. "Chip Smith, Former Al Gore Aide, Named EVP Public Affairs At 21st Century Fox". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  5. "Chip Smith '86 to Become Top Lobbyist at 21st Century Fox". Lawrenceville School. 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  6. Von Drehle, David (9 February 1992). "Students Return to Politics; College Volunteers Arriving in Numbers Unseen for Many Years". The Washington Post.
  7. "Executive Profile Chip Smith". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  8. "It's What We Do". Colby Magazine. Fall 2002. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  9. Feeney, Susan (19 January 1992). "Down the road of political optimism Candidates' offices crowd near NH street". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  10. Shrum, Robert (5 June 2007). No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner. Simon and Schuster. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  11. King, Josh (13 May 2012). "Episode 55, with guests Michael Feldman, Chip Smith, Ben LaBolt and Arnette Heintze". Polioptics. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  12. "Gore: Prime Time Al?", The Hotline, 13 November 2000, Factiva htln000020010806dwbd0087i
  13. Sobieraj, Sandra (21 June 2000). "Gore Command Central Is Kitchen". AP Online. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  14. Fournier, Ron (20 April 2000). "Gore Staffs Up for General Election". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  15. Dickson, Virgil (29 November 2011). "WPP acquires Glover Park Group". PRWeek. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  16. Allen, Mike (29 November 2011). "WPP buys Glover Park Group". Politico. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  17. Ackley, Kate (7 November 2006). "Glover Park Sells Majority Stake in Firm". Roll Call. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  18. "Communications group WPP will buy The Glover Park Group for undisclosed sum". Associated Press. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  19. "Glover Park Chief Smith to 21st Century Fox". O'Dwyers. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  20. Chapa, Rebeca (19 October 2006). "Can Unity shake up the country's political involvement?". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  21. Blethen, Ryan (18 August 2006). "Shooting holes in the two-party wall". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  22. Kurtz, Howard (15 July 2006). "Top political strategists go nonpartisan on Web site; HotSoup.com; Group hopes to reach 30 million opinion leaders". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  23. Gupta, Shankar (31 October 2006). "MSNBC.com Taps HotSoup For Political Commentary". MediaPost. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  24. Lambro, Donald (31 January 2007). "The campaign financing contest". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  25. Dorning, Mike (23 January 2007). "Forget sleep, it's time for fundraising". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  26. Theimer, Sharon (20 February 2004). "Bush Starts February With $104M in Bank". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  27. Gibson, John (host) (24 June 2004). "Interview with Gore 2000's Chip Smith and President Bush Advisor Charlie Black Judge Andrew Napolitano". The Big Story With John Gibson. Fox News Channel.
  28. Cooper, Anderson (host) (9 August 2004). "Was Recent Bloodbath in Florida Over an Xbox? Are Helicopters Weapons of Choice for al Qaeda?". Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees. CNN.
  29. http://www.colby.edu/news/2018/07/19/colby-college-board-of-trustees-elects-five-new-members//
  30. "Chip Smith". LinkedIn. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  31. "About Us". Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  32. "About Us – Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation". tglfoundation.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  33. "Chip Smith | 21st Century Fox". www.21cf.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
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