#WeLeadComms: Jeff Pekar

For most communication professionals, strategy and storytelling are the tools of the trade. For today’s #WeLeadComms honoree Jeff Pekar, they’re also a bit like magic.

Jeff is Senior Director, Employee Experience – Change Communications Consulting at WTW in Toronto. 

For almost two decades working with Fortune 500 companies as clients, Pekar has built a reputation for designing communication programs that are both strategically rigorous and creatively engaging. His work has earned multiple IABC Gold Quill “Best of the Best” awards, and he currently serves as an evaluator on the Gold Quill Blue Ribbon Panel, helping identify the profession’s most exceptional work. 

But Pekar brings an additional, unusual perspective to the craft of communication: he is also an amateur magician.

At the upcoming IABC World Conference, Pekar will combine these two worlds in his session, “The Magic Behind Award-Winning Communication Strategies.” The presentation uses live magic demonstrations to illustrate the principles behind effective communication strategies. Each illusion serves as a mnemonic device to help communicators remember key concepts such as aligning tactics with strategy, focusing attention where it matters most, and designing programs that deliver measurable impact.

“The goal isn’t just to entertain,” Pekar explains. “It’s to reveal the underlying mechanics that make communication work – much like a magician revealing the secret behind an illusion.”

The session will draw upon real-world case studies from multinational Gold Quill award-winning programs, offering practical insights into how communicators can design strategies that are both creative and results-driven. Attendees can expect an interactive experience that blends storytelling, audience participation, and a few well-timed surprises. Come see what other tricks he has up his sleeves!

For Pekar, the connection between magic and communication is natural. Both rely on understanding the audience, directing attention, and creating moments that stick in people’s minds long after the performance is over. 

“In communication, the real magic happens when strategy, creativity, and measurement all link together,” he says. “When that happens, you don’t just inform an audience – you truly engage them.”

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#WeLeadComms is a partnership between IABC and Strategic.

The communicator’s role is evolving, and IABC World Conference is where we’ll explore what’s next.

Join a global network of communication professionals 14-16 June in Toronto for practical insights, peer learning, and new ideas you can take back to your organization. https://wc.iabc.com/.