About Us

Claude Smadja created Smadja & Associates, now Smadja & Smadja, in June 2001.

Before creating Smadja & Smadja, Claude Smadja was the Managing Director of the World Economic Forum from 1995 to 2001. He has been involved with the World Economic Forum for 14 years first as a member of the Executive Board before re-joining the organization as its Managing Director.

Claude Smadja started his career as an international journalist first in the print media and then joining the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation where his last position was as Executive Director for the News and Current Affairs Division.

He is a frequent speaker on macroeconomic and geopolitical issues, and especially on issues and trends relating to globalization, on Asia’s issues – especially India and China - and on the evolution of Europe. He contributes occasionally to international publications.

Claude Smadja sits presently on the boards of three international corporations and is also a member of the International Board of Overseers of the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Yaël Smadja is an analyst and strategist, specialized in the creation and management of platforms of content. In July 2003, she opened Smadja & Associates USA Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Smadja & Smadja Strategic Advisory.

Yaël has more than twenty years experience in the conference, consulting, and public relations fields.

From 1999 to 2003, Yaël was a Principal at the Dilenschneider Group in New York, a public relations consulting firm specialized in communications strategy and crisis management, with clients among the Fortune 500 companies and high-profile individuals.

Prior to this, Yaël was Business Development Manager for Global Event Management (now Publicis Events) in Switzerland, a company specialized in international events creation and organization.

Yaël Smadja has a BA in Political Science from the University of Lausanne, and a Masters of International Law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland. Prior to the start of her professional career, she participated in the organization of more than 20 international events. Yaël's areas of expertise include trend analysis, program development, positioning consultancy, media relations and event creation and management.