Behind the Scenes with AMA Volunteers: September 2022

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Behind the Scenes: The Rewards of Volunteering  

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 

Winston Churchill

I made the decision to volunteer with AMA more than 12 years ago. Why did I join? At the time I was looking for a way to expand my network and build more profile for myself and my employer in the marketing community. I achieved those goals, but I’ve continued to volunteer because of the evolving opportunities AMA has provided to learn and grow while helping others.  

Volunteering with AMA Toronto can open many doors. Whether you’re new to marketing, new to Canada, an established marketing professional, or even a semi-retired marketer like myself, there are personal and professional benefits to be gained while you support and give back to the marketing community. Craig Lund, VP Mentorship for AMA Toronto and 2022 winner of the prestigious Rick Sweeney Volunteer of the Year Award for all AMA chapters, sees his 15 years of AMA volunteerism as “enlightened self-interest”. I agree and would summarize the benefits of volunteering in four areas: People, Professional Development, Profile and Impact

People

Building an influential network requires more than adding LinkedIn connections. To gain the most value, you need to give as well as receive from your relationships. The AMA volunteer community is vibrant, influential, helpful and filled with people who can broaden your horizons. Through AMA you can develop meaningful relationships with a diverse group of talented professionals at various stages of their careers. You can learn from and be inspired by ambitious Canadian newcomers, established industry experts and inspiring Canadian marketing legends at our events and through our Leadership Excellence programs such as Mentor Exchange, Career Accelerator and Executive Coaching. 

Professional Development: Leadership Excellence Program

AMA Toronto is a leader among 70 international AMA chapters in helping marketers develop their leadership potential. AMA Toronto volunteers have a front of the line opportunity to participate as either mentees or mentors in our Mentor Exchange or Career Accelerator programs. Discounted fees for volunteers are intended to help more volunteers access these programs. We also now provide Executive Coaching specifically designed for and delivered by accredited and highly regarded marketing coaches at incredible value. AMA members can also access content and earn certifications through professional educational programs through AMA international and partners such as Schulich Executive Education Centre and ACCES Employment.

Profile & Credentials

Our 85+ committee volunteers run a successful not-for-profit business. We’re an award-winning chapter on an international stage. We provide our volunteers with a wide range of opportunities to build your resume with additional skills and leadership experience. You can earn titles, promotions as well as gain hands-on team and project management experience to add to your career story. Our Rockstar recognition program and other volunteer recognition initiatives can provide in-person and online public recognition.

Impact

AMA volunteers have significant impact on our organization and the marketing community. Whether you’re promoting our programs, hosting events, helping other marketers achieve professional and personal growth or having impact at the international level, we all can make a difference.

Two of our volunteers have had outstanding impact. In 2021, Past President Miglena Nikolova led our chapter to an AMA international Silver Chapter Excellence Award and a DEI Recognition Award. Award-winning volunteer, VP Craig Lund, has led internationally acclaimed mentorship programs that have helped more than 650 mentees boost their careers. He is also now a Professional Chapters Council advisor providing guidance to 12 international AMA chapters’ executives.

Becoming an AMA Toronto volunteer can make a difference to you but also to the marketing community. If you’re interested in learning more about our talented volunteer community and opportunities for professional and personal growth, please contact me at debbie.bolton@ama-toronto.com

August Rockstars

Our August Rockstars have been making things happen behind the scenes for their teams and the AMA community. Maggie and Victoria have helped relaunch the Mentorship and Executive Coaching programs under the Leadership Excellence name. While Yushika has been going above and beyond to support AMA partners.

Maggie Bolt
Account Manager,
Leadership Excellence Communications

Maggie joined AMA Toronto in the spring to help with Leadership Excellence program communications and social media and has already made her mark. Since joining the Leadership Excellence team, she has pitched in to help the team with new challenges for the restructured program, including the revamp of the website. Maggie has more than 4 years experience in B2B marketing and communications. She is a Marketing Manager at Forum VC. She has a Bachelor of Communications and Media Studies from Carleton University.

Victoria Bomben
Program Director, Leadership Excellence

Victoria is a relatively new member of the Leadership Excellence team. She has demonstrated her agility, flexibility and project management skills during the relaunch of the Mentorship and Executive Coaching programs under the Leadership Excellence banner. This has included a major overhaul of the website. Victoria has more than 30 years marketing and digital marketing experience. She is the Principal of Sinergia Digital. She has an MBA from Wilfred Laurier University and a Bachelor of Engineering from University of Windsor.

Yushika Abeysiri (Alles)
Manager, Sponsorship Experience

Yushika has been a volunteer on the Sponsorship team for over two years. She has recently taken on increased responsibility in moving forward important sponsor and partner relationships like ACCES Employment. Yushika is an Analyst Retail Client Service for IRI and has more than 10 years experience in brand marketing and communications in Sri Lanka and Canada. She has an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland and a Sales and Marketing certificate from Humber College.

Join our volunteer team

Are you an enthusiastic marketer who’s interested in meeting great people, gaining leadership experience and raising your profile in the marketing community? We’re looking for:

  • A PR media relations pro
  • Accomplished in-person and virtual event directors and managers
  • Experienced content writers and content managers
  • A senior research professional
  • Project managers
  • And more…
 

Please check out our job postings at https:ama-toronto.com/community/volunteer/  or contact me at debbie.bolton@ama-toronto.com

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