Yvette Austin Smith
Senior Managing Director and Chair of Global Finance Practice
Compass Lexecon (FTI Consulting Subsidiary)

Before Yvette Austin Smith found her way to economic consulting, her intellectual curiosity pushed her to pursue various paths, including serving as a consultant to grantees receiving federal funds to address homelessness and addiction; funding continuing studies in mathematics by working weekends in the document production center of Lehman Brothers; and tutoring incarcerated youth and pregnant women at Rikers Island.

Austin Smith has gone on to become a respected specialist in mergers and acquisition and bankruptcy disputes, often analyzing how debt, including asset-backed facilities, are impacted by changes in a company’s value, liquidity or capitalization. This work has allowed Austin Smith to build what she describes as an intellectually and economically rewarding career.

In 2022, after completing a term as the chairperson for an international economic consulting firm, making her the first woman and first African American in the firm’s history to do so, Austin Smith joined Compass Lexecon as chair of its global finance practice. She says that at a time when credit disputes, such as those involving lien priming and collateral transfers, are increasing, this latest career move represents a fantastic opportunity.

Austin Smith says she deeply enjoys working with clients and their legal counsel to understand the financial and economic impact of significant corporate disputes. A key element of this process is listening, which she believes is critical to client relationships as well as leadership.

“You can’t solve a client’s issues unless you understand not only the problem but also the client’s perspective on that problem,” Austin Smith says. “Likewise, if you want to promote a high-functioning team, it is important to listen to the input from that team. No leader has all the answers. I find that good listening, especially in a world of ‘experts,’ is an underrated but highly valuable attribute of exceptional leadership.”