Nigel Smith

Principal & President

I began my marketing career working at a small healthcare company in the early 1990s which made a children’s insect repellent (Skeedaddle!) which used DEET but prevented it from being absorbed into the skin. I was hooked on telling health stories and from there moved into 30+ years of agency life where I’d have greater exposure to tell many more important stories.

• Notable Result: My very first PR placement was in the Sunday New York Times. I thought it was cool, but had no real idea how impactful it was until the sales people were leveraging it for distribution deals with large supermarket/drugstore chains. Then the lightbulb went off and I was hooked.

• Best Connection: When I was an 18-year-old high school senior, my classmates and I had the unforgettable experience of sitting at a lunch table with both Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog. Seeing a group of kids at the peak of their 'cool' so captivated and mesmerized by a puppet sharing important life lessons was incredible then and remains an unforgettable memory 35 years later.

• Best Part of the Job: For over 30 years, I’ve worked in healthcare, and it’s always a privilege to speak with patients who share how lives have been improved. These conversations are emotional for both the patient and me as being ‘sick’ is exhausting – physically and mentally. Hearing them talk about regaining control over their lives, something they once thought impossible, is incredibly special. It motivates me to continue supporting efforts that improve lives.

• Location: I’m a proud Bostonian but have spent many years living in San Francisco and London (where I was one of the few American Nigels in England!)