Alex Pekish has sadly passed away following a long battle with cancer.
A giant of the Melbourne media scene, Pekish started his career in the industry in 1991 as a senior media buyer at Media Decisions. At the turn of the Millennium, he joined Ikon Communications as its buying director, before joining Mitchell’s WA in 2007 as its general manager.
Pekish spent 16 years within the Dentsu Aegis group, rising to become its chief commercial officer. In September 2020, Pekish departed to co-found Equilibrium Consult with Mark O’Brien.
“Peka was one of the true gentlemen of the media industry, a thoroughly decent human being,” Lou Barrett, managing director national sales, News Corp.
“[He was] Always checking in on others, never thinking of himself. Anyone who had the good fortune of crossing paths with Peka in business knows that he was always incredibly honest and trustworthy and he knew numbers like nobody I know. He will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.”
Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham added he was “very fortunate” to meet Pekish when he worked in Melbourne.
“What struck me most about Peka was his trading and negotiation smarts and his down-to-earth attitude. He was tough but fair, a man of his word and an all-round good bloke. His commitment to his craft and the trusted relationships with the media were paramount. The trust he built with clients, colleagues and everyone he dealt with was truly remarkable. Peka will be missed.”
Pekish is survived by his wife Eliza and stepdaughter Lola.
