Position:
Global Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer
Company:
Edelman
Bio:
Trisch L. Smith is a diversity and inclusion champion, communications strategist, and veteran public relations leader with decades of experience advising global brands on stakeholder engagement, reputation management, and strategic positioning.
During her tenure with Edelman, Trisch has led communications and stakeholder outreach initiatives for numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Unilever, HP, Toyota, Prudential, and Walmart, among others. For more than a decade, she led Edelman’s award-winning Multicultural client practice and continues to provide senior counsel on multicultural communications and engagement strategies.
In 2015, Trisch was appointed U.S. Managing Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Edelman, and in fall 2018 she became the firm’s first Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. In this role, she oversees global DEIB strategy, including culture transformation, partnerships, learning and development, and initiatives designed to advance inclusion and belonging across the organization.
Beyond her daily responsibilities, Trisch is deeply engaged in community and professional leadership. She serves on the Board of Directors of ColorComm, the Board of Advocates of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), and the Morgan State University Foundation Board. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Additionally, she is a highly sought-after speaker and panelist for organizations and companies worldwide.
Trisch’s work in driving meaningful change has earned recognition. Her honors include the Public Relations Society of America Foundation’s 2024 Paladin Award, 2024 U.S. Black Chamber Power 50 Woman of Influence, PRWeek Women of Distinction (2022), and the Washington Business Journal’s Diversity in Business Award (2022). In 2023, she was inducted into the Morgan State University School of Global Journalism & Communications Hall of Fame. She has also been recognized by Savoy Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America” and one of the “Most Influential Women in Corporate America.” In 2019, she received the inaugural Adweek/ADCOLOR Champions Award for Diversity and Inclusion.
Trisch holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.