Washington, D.C., is not a cynical swamp. It’s America’s most hopeful place. by David Litt
Stephanie Cutter is the managing partner of Precision, an award-winning global strategy and marketing agency she founded more than a decade ago.
At Precision, Stephanie has revolutionized the integration of data-driven communications with campaign-style organizing to create a new model for managing reputations, breaking through and connecting with audiences, and mobilizing people to action in the digital age. Stephanie has worked with a wide range of clients, from Fortune 50 companies and leading financial institutions to news networks, movie studios and sports legends, to seize opportunities, overcome challenges, and shape narratives in service of strategic goals.
Before starting Precision, Stephanie served in top government and political roles, rising to become one of the most seasoned, accomplished and forward leaning strategists of her generation. Described as “one of the most prominent voices in the [Democratic] party, and one of its top strategists and crisis managers” by Politico, Stephanie has crafted high-level communications, reputation and crisis-management strategies for two U.S. Presidents, U.S. Senate leaders, and every Democratic presidential nominee since 2004. Throughout, she revolutionized how leaders communicate and connect with target audiences. The New York Times called her “the polished, sometimes scarily organized strategist who gets things done” who “has a long and favorable reputation with some of the most influential journalists and opinion makers in Washington.” GQ named her one of “the 50 most powerful people in Washington.”
Most recently, Stephanie was the chief architect of the widely acclaimed 2024 and 2020 Democratic National Conventions. For the 2024 convention, she served as Executive Producer, shepherding it from conception to production in just three weeks. In 2020, she was the Chief Program Executive for the first-ever virtual convention, which the Washington Post stated was worthy of “Emmy consideration,” and a “production that knew exactly what story it wanted to tell and how to use the tools of electronic persuasion to tell it.” Stephanie also served as the Executive Producer of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, earning an Emmy nomination for her production of the primetime special “Celebrating America” at the Lincoln Memorial.
A veteran of the historic 2008 Obama campaign, Stephanie joined the administration as counselor to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and worked extensively with First Lady Michelle Obama, including creating the “Let’s Move” campaign to end childhood obesity. She served as a Senior Advisor to President Obama for message strategy and was Deputy Campaign Manager for his 2012 re-election campaign, a game changer that broke barriers in understanding, reaching, and connecting with more Americans than any election in history. Prior to her Obama years, Stephanie served as Deputy Communications Director for President Clinton and as a longtime senior aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.
A Massachusetts native, Stephanie lives in Washington, DC with her son, and is a graduate of Smith College and Georgetown University Law Center. She sits on the boards of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Equality Health, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate, and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. She is a former co-host of CNN’s Crossfire show and a former contributor to ABC News.
Washington, D.C., is not a cynical swamp. It’s America’s most hopeful place. by David Litt