Stefan Pollack

For more than 30 years, Stefan has been a trusted counselor to clients who lean on him for his candor, sharp perspectives, creativity, and business acumen. When he proposes bold, big, audacious ideas, clients listen, because they know those ideas are grounded in a deep understanding of their business goals. He believes communications campaigns only break through the clutter when they’re imaginative, built on sound business decisions, and tuned into the current climate of the industries they serve.

This emphasis on intellectual curiosity is central to Stefan’s approach to public relations. It inspires professionals to ask insightful questions and challenge assumptions, values he brings to his PR students at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, where he has been an Adjunct Professor for 25 years. His curiosity also led to his 2013 book, Disrupted, From GenY to iGen: Communicating With The Next Generation, which examines the differences between Gen Z and Millennials.

Stefan’s curiosity about where the industry is headed has also driven him to build, not just advise. He is Co-Founder of SmartFocus.ai, an AI-powered virtual focus group platform that gives communicators and marketers fast, on-demand insight into how audiences will respond to ideas, messages, and strategies, without the cost or delays of traditional research.

Recognized nationally in public relations, digital, and strategic communications, Stefan is fully committed to every role, whether leading industry associations, serving on nonprofit boards, or teaching future PR and journalism professionals. His people-first leadership was recognized in 2025, when he was named an Inspiring Leader by the Inspiring Workplaces Group, which honors leaders who build trust, communicate authentically, and empower their teams.

Stefan continues to serve the industry and his community. He is the past global chair for The Worldcom Public Relations Group (Worldcom), a global partnership of independent PR firms, and sits on the board of Hillel at USC. Previously, he served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and held global marketing and Americas Region chair positions with Worldcom, as well as board roles for several nonprofit organizations.

Stefan holds a degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the USC Marshall School of Business. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Karen, and daughters, Elyse and Sophie.