KRISTEN SMITH
Senior Vice President
KRISTEN SMITH
Senior Vice President
Kristen is a public affairs strategist with experience over more than two decades working with and for large trade associations, Fortune 100 companies, and at the highest levels of government.
As a ROKK Senior Vice President, Kristen partners with clients to develop public affairs and strategic communications programs that advance both policy and business objectives. With an audience-first mindset, she helps clients develop targeted campaigns that influence policy discussions and earn clients a seat at the decision-making table.
Kristen’s original intention to apply to law school was disrupted by her post-college move to D.C. and quick immersion into the world of policy and political communications. After several years with influential trade associations like American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Kristen served in the Office of the Commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and as a Speechwriter at the U.S. Department of Energy during the George W. Bush Administration. She then went on to corporate public affairs roles at Aetna and Caterpillar, where she led policy communications and helped drive enterprise-wide corporate reputation campaigns. She most recently served as SVP, Head of Health Public Affairs and Policy Communications at Edelman Global Advisory.
WHY KRISTEN BELONGS IN THE ROOM
She’s an expert at 360° integrated communications
Kristen’s experience across organization types and sectors allows her to offer a 360 perspective on any client challenge or opportunity. She understands – from experience inside various types of organizations – how different motivations and incentives impact a debate.
She knows how to craft an impactful message
With her deep writing experience, including as a cabinet-level speechwriter, she can distill key messages in a heartbeat. Don’t be surprised if you see her sketching a quick message house on the side of her meeting notes.
She knows there’s always more to learn
Kristen is a huge believer in life-long learning (she’s currently pursuing a master’s degree at George Washington University). For her, every meeting is an opportunity to learn something from each and every person in the room.
GOOD TO KNOW
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Dogs, specifically my amazing Boston Terrier, Cora
Comedy (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office)
Kristen loves learning new languages. She studied Spanish (part of a double major) and German at Middlebury College in VT and has made attempts at learning French and Italian as well.