Julie Barron

Julie is delighted to join Pekarsky & Co. as a Principal in the Edmonton office.

A long and winding road has led Julie to Pekarsky & Co. A native of London, Ontario, Julie graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Western Ontario. She began her professional life as a singer and arts manager, performing throughout Europe and Asia with world-renowned ensembles from Canada, Germany and Sweden. In 1998 she moved to Belgium for a six-month contract with the International Federation for Choral Music, and as sometimes happens, ended up staying in Europe for seven years. Along the way she acquired four languages, a wealth of life experience and a husband. Julie had the great fortune of living first in Switzerland for five years and then spending two years in Stockholm, Sweden, performing, recording, touring and also working as General Manager of an international, acclaimed ensemble World Voices.

In 2006 Julie actually did what many only dream of doing- she ran away with the circus. For seven years she held the position of Senior Artistic Talent Scout with Cirque du Soleil, scouring the world for unique and awe-inspiring singers, instrumentalists, actors, dancers and of course, clowns. One of her greatest achievements in the role was discovering not one but two pairs of little people who specialized in both acrobatics and acting for Cirque’s touring show Corteo.

Working in multicultural, face-paced environments has honed Julie’s diplomacy, strategic vision, innovative problem solving skills, and ability to work in ambiguous environments. She is optimistic, innovative, pragmatic, and doggedly determined to deliver excellence in everything she does.

In 2013, Julie’s husband Michael Zaugg was appointed Artistic Director and Principal conductor of Edmonton’s Pro Coro Canada, one of only a handful of professional choirs in the country. They relocated with their two young daughters to start a new life in Edmonton. Julie joined an executive search firm, transitioning from recruiting clowns to CEOs, which isn’t as big a leap as one might imagine. She gained valuable experience recruiting for all sectors, including municipal, non-profit, academic, public and private companies.

Julie, Michael and daughters Matilda and Clara love biking through Edmonton’s river valley, appreciate the strong sense of collaboration in the community, and go skiing in the mountains as often as possible.