Board Of Directors
Ashley Smith
Board Member
Ashley Smith is currently the founder of GSD Advisory, a marketing advising and strategy company. GSD Advisory leverages Smith’s passions and 25 years of experience in connecting consumers and brands across music, sports and entertainment. Prior to launching GSD Advisory, Smith was the Vice President of Brand Marketing for Madison Square Garden overseeing marketing, digital content and customer experience for the MSG portfolio of venues including The Garden, Beacon Theatre, Radio City Music Hall and Chicago Theatre. Smith was Senior Director of Sports Management/CreativeWorks for ESPN, responsible for leading sponsorship programs across SEC Network, College Football Playoff and special music projects. Smith developed the Nissan Heisman House, numerous movie studio integrations across the ESPN networks and spearheaded the first live client integration in the NBA Finals with partner Samsung. The Senior Director role was Smith’s second stint at ESPN: earlier in her career, she was a Director of Brand Marketing responsible for the strategic and creative development of advertising and marketing campaigns for SportsCenter, X Games and Winter X Games. During a four-year tenure with Turner Broadcasting as Senior Director of Entertainment Marketing at TNT and tbs, Smith led campaigns for “Leverage,” “Saving Grace” and “House of Payne.” She initiated innovative partnerships with Live Nation and Yahoo! on behalf of the original series in her portfolio. Smith also brings a wealth of music-industry experience to GSD Advisory. She was head of publicity for the Left Bank Organization (LBO), an artist management firm whose roster included The Bee Gees, Blondie, The Cranberries, Meat Loaf, Mötley Crüe and YES. When LBO launched its own record label, Beyond Music, in 1999, Smith took on the role of head of publicity and successfully spearheaded PR strategies for the Blondie comeback album No Exit and the Motley Crüe Greatest Hits CD and tour, among others. Smith began her career at New Era Management (now Red Mountain Entertainment) in Birmingham, Alabama developing tour marketing and PR strategies for musical groups Brother Cane, Gravy and Catfish Jenkins.Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from the University of Alabama and proudly supports the Crimson Tide both in academics and athletics. Smith is currently a member of the UA College of Communications Board of Visitors. Ashley started as a center/forward in basketball throughout her junior high and high schools years. As the daughter of two track & field/cross country coaches she was around team sports her entire life and very much sees the value of team dynamics and the impact it can have on a young person.