Merrie Spaeth

Merrie color headshotwebSCHRANZ LECTURER 2013

Merrie is the founder of Spaeth Communications, Inc., a leading consulting and training firm in the communications industry. A pioneer in communication theory and executive training, Spaeth is considered one of the most influential communication counselors in the world. Before Spaeth founded Spaeth Communications in 1987, she accumulated one of the most unique backgrounds in media, government, politics, business and entertainment.

Spaeth Communications, based in Dallas, Texas, provides strategic communication counseling and training to individuals, companies and institutions. Clients include Fortune 500 executives as well as local, national and international corporations in diverse fields such as government, manufacturing, service and financing. Since its inception in 1987, Spaeth Communications has grown into an international operation, with offices in the United States and Singapore.

Before founding Spaeth Communications, Ms. Spaeth spent nearly a decade in government communication positions. She was a White House Fellow for former FBI Director William Webster and served as the director of public affairs for the Federal Trade Commission for two years, which lead to her appointment as the director of media relations for the White House. She held this position from 1983-1987, during which time she introduced satellite interviews and created the electronic White House News Service.

Spaeth has varied her career with positions in entertainment, business and media. She also had a career in acting, including a starring role in “The World of Henry Orient” and later served as a speech writer for William S. Paley, founder and chairman of CBS, Inc. Spaeth also serves as a Business Leadership Center Instructor for the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University where she teaches “Humor as a Leadership Tool,” and other relevant courses.

Spaeth writes regularly on timely PR topics (available at www.spaethcom.com) and authors numerous communications columns; “Spaeth’s Bimbo Memo,” a column covering contemporary communication blunders. Her columns have been collected into two books, Marketplace Communication and Words Matter. Ms. Spaeth is a cum laude graduate of Smith College and an alumna the Columbia School of Business.