Communicator of the Year

IABC/Detroit Bestows the Prestigious Communicator of the Year Award to Leah Reynolds

Leah Reynolds, national practice leader for generational change and total rewards communication with Deloitte Consulting, LLP, was named "Communicator of the Year" at the 2008 IABC/Detroit Renaissance Awards presented by General Motors in association with Watson Wyatt.

This prestigious award is IABC/Detroit's highest honor and is presented annually to an organizational leader, whose achievements and contributions have advanced the profession.

During her career, Reynolds has built an outstanding record of professional achievements in the communications field.

In her current role with Deloitte Consulting, Reynolds has designed communications strategies for Fortune 100 companies. Her experience includes work for numerous automobile manufacturers and suppliers, health care organizations and financial institutions. Reynolds has developed strategies for entities during major mergers and acquisitions, spin offs and divestitures, changes in total rewards and human resource policies and shifts in corporate and organizational culture.

Reynolds created and continues to lead Deloitte Consulting's National Generational Change and Total Rewards Communications network, and this is a key part of the overall global Total Rewards practice.

At Deloitte Consulting, Reynolds focuses on the area of development of generational communications. This has resulted in a co-branded global study with IABC, and it was featured in the March/April 2008 edition of Communication World. The article, co-authored by Reynolds and two other Deloitte consultants, is titled "The Gen Y Imperative," and reveals communications strategies focused on successfully engaging the youngest members of today's workforce.

This ground-breaking study laid the foundation for content Reynolds will be presenting at the 2008 IABC International Conference in New York. She will host a session on "Adapting Communication for the Generations to Improve Your Bottom Line." In addition, she will jointly present the results of Deloitte's co-branded global research study, in conjunction with the IABC Research Foundation, on communicating to generations around the world.

Prior to joining Deloitte, she was owner of Leah Reynolds Associates, a change management and internal communication consulting firm. Her experience also includes senior positions with two global human resource firms, Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Reynolds is a recognized communications leader within the broader Michigan community. She is a graduate of the Leadership Detroit XXV, and has presented on generational communication to the State of Michigan.

Reynolds is a longtime supporter and contributor to IABC. She was on the IABC/Detroit board of directors for several years, and this includes serving as chapter president. In addition, she has been a featured speaker at member events.

She holds a master's degree in organizational communication, and a bachelor's degree in music and vocal performance.

For information and guidelines on nominations for the 2009 Communicator of the Year, click here .