About

Strategic is the global network for communication, strategy, and leadership. 

Its international community engages across five divisions: Magazine, Events, Forums, Training and Awards.

Strategic Magazine has a Global Columnist Network of recognized communication experts. It provides a curated platform to educate and influence peers and decision-makers in organizations about communication. 

Strategic Events brings its community together. It creates opportunities to connect in-person and virtually through flagship and bespoke events.

Strategic Forums delivers one-day online communication leadership sessions focused on the most important issues shaping the profession.

Strategic Training gives communication professionals the opportunity to be masters of the profession. It provides in-person and virtual courses across Europe, North America and APAC, and is powered by the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence (CSCE).

Strategic Global Awards recognizes the outstanding achievements of communication leaders who are shaping the future of the profession globally.

Individual and corporate members have the opportunity to build thought leadership and visibility in AI search; connect with decision-makers and communication leaders; solve real challenges in the profession; and gain recognition on a global stage.

Strategic elevates and advocates for communication leaders and the profession. In line with its mission, Credentialed sponsors five senior communication professionals annually to access globally recognized professional certification.

The organization is focused on fostering the right collaboration and optimizing business relationships, reputations and growth. It is dedicated to serving communication leaders, and connecting them with its partners – by offering high quality content, connections and experiences.

Its purpose is to help communication leaders create and demonstrate measurable business impact.

Its mission is to shape communication practices worldwide. 

Its vision is to position communication as a strategic management function.

Strategic was founded in 2020 by managing director Orla Clancy and is incorporated as part of Stratpair Ltd. in Ireland. In 2025, #WeLeadComms founder Mike Klein joined the organization, taking on the role of editor-in-chief, and to integrate the global #WeLeadComms community into the Strategic platform.

Orla Clancy, Founder and Managing Director

In 2020, Orla Clancy founded Strategic with an ambition to create a global organization that elevates and advocates for communication leaders and the profession. As founder and managing director, she leads Strategic with a forward-thinking approach, anticipating and responding to the evolving needs of the global communication community.

Orla plays a central role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction, managing key partnerships, and fostering connections between organizations and communication leaders worldwide. Under her leadership, Strategic has grown into a trusted network for insight and collaboration, with a collective approach at its core. 

With her extensive business and communication experience – and qualifications in leadership, management, crisis management, public relations, law, and accounting –  Orla brings a unique combination of strategic, operational, and advisory expertise to Strategic. This ensures it continues to deliver impact and value to its community of communication leaders and partners globally.

E: orla.clancy@strategic.global 

Mike Klein, Editor-in-Chief and Communication Director

Mike Klein took on the role of leading Strategic’s editorial side in early 2025, moved by a recognition that communication leaders lacked a reliable third-party platform for sharing their thinking, experience and insights – a gap he was eager to fill.

“In our profession, we have a lot of dynamic people with a lot to say – but aside from blogs and LinkedIn, there was nowhere to say it reliably and credibly.  My appetite for taking on this role has been fed by my desire not just to grow the platform, but to make it the central platform for ideas and thinking in our space – to be the earned media engine for our profession and industry.”

Mike also drives the global events and marketing strategy that brings the communication leadership community together. He leads the flagship Communication Leadership Summit to unite senior members of the profession and accelerate their impact on business performance. 

Mike’s involvement in Strategic followed his successful launch and leadership of #WeLeadComms, the world’s largest recognition program, which is now integrated into Strategic Magazine, while retaining its following of nearly 25,000 on LinkedIn. “Again, just as Strategic Magazine fills the gap of having a thought leadership engine for the profession, #WeLeadComms has addressed a demand for recognition among communication leaders across geographies, generations and disciplines.”

Aside from his roles in Strategic and #WeLeadComms, Mike also maintains an active consulting practice from his base in Reykjavik, Iceland, focusing on internal communication research and measurement.  His current research takes particular interest in how AI-driven automation and acceleration, changing workforce demographics, and pressure on traditional hierarchies are creating an unprecedented business case for investment in internal communication.

E: editor@strategic.global