TORONTO, April 7, 2021 — Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends (CMHOL), one of Canada’s most respected and renowned industry awards, today announced the induction of five new Legends and this year’s Marketer on the Rise.
The 2021 inductees into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends are:
● Judy John, global chief creative officer, Edelman
● Sharifa Khan, president and CEO, Balmoral Multicultural Marketing
● Rem Langan, former CMO, McDonald’s Canada, and president & CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada
● Bryan Pearson, former CEO, LoyaltyOne Co.
● Ratana and Arran Stephens, co-founders, Nature’s Path
The 2021 Marketer on the Rise is Sahar Saidi, founder and CEO, LUS Brands, a Toronto-based direct-to-consumer ecommerce company.
Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends honours the industry’s most inspiring visionaries, enablers, builders and mentors who’ve had tremendous impact on the field of marketing throughout their careers. The Marketer-on-the-Rise award, reintroduced this year, celebrates Canada’s top up-and-comers — the next generation of influential marketing leaders.
“These exceptional leaders are Legends — they’ve shaped and influenced marketing in Canada and in many ways have global impact,” says Miglena Nikolova, president of AMA Toronto, the association that runs CMHOL. “Sharing their career accomplishments and inspiring stories celebrates excellence, provides inspiration, and empowers leadership potential across the marketing community.”
The award winners will be formally recognized and honoured by AMA Toronto on
April 22 at an interactive CMHOL gala event.
The 2021 inductees were carefully chosen by a selection committee made up of a distinguished and diverse group of marketing experts and chaired by 2014 Legend inductee David Kincaid, founder and managing partner, Level5 Strategy.
“This year, Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends acted on an acknowledged need and changed to better reflect the diverse character of our marketing sector,” says Kincaid. “The selection committee is very pleased that our commitment to address and enhance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in 2021 successfully generated more nominations than ever before, as well as our most diverse group of inductees yet.”
In addition to their induction into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends, award winners will participate in AMA Toronto’s popular Legendary Leadership Series. Each event in the ongoing interactive series explores the stories, achievements, influence and learnings of a different Marketing Legend and engages the marketing community in thoughtful conversation about leadership in the industry, social trends, and innovations.
Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends is sponsored by Architech.
About Architech
Architech builds the tailored digital platforms you interact with every day from the brands you love and trust — Telus, RBC, Air Miles, and more. Architech specializes in modernizing legacy platforms and delivering innovative cloud solutions. Their commitment to excellence has earned them the prestigious Microsoft Global Partner of the Year Award.
About Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends (CMHOL)
Founded in 2004, Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends honours inspiring Canadian leaders who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of excellence in the field of marketing. The award, created to spotlight the stories, people and brands behind Canada’s greatest marketing successes, recognizes a noteworthy body of work and a lifetime of achievements and leadership. Nominations for induction are held annually. An independent selection committee of accomplished experts from the marketing community evaluates each year’s list of nominees.
About AMA Toronto
The Toronto Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA Toronto) is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization that has empowered business growth and leadership within its community for more than 70 years. AMA Toronto provides opportunities to build professional connections, develop leadership, and accelerate professional knowledge and growth. With more than 20,000 members and 70 chapters across North America, the AMA is the largest marketing association in the world.
Legendary Quotes
“For me, this honour is a recognition of the power of creativity. I’ve always believed creativity can solve problems, change behaviour and change the world. This is also a recognition of how incredibly fortunate I am to get to work with inspiring creatives and partners, and courageous clients.”
— Judy John, global chief creative officer, Edelman
“Multicultural marketing to me is not just a business, it’s a responsibility to ensure ethnic minorities are not ignored by brands, and that they are spoken to on a deep and personal level. And for this pursuit to be inducted into the 2021 Class of Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends is an absolute honour.”
— Sharifa Khan, president and CEO, Balmoral Multicultural Marketing
“Totally unexpected, but very much appreciated… This is proof-positive that one’s contributions in business and for charities are recognized as important by our amazing marketing community in Canada. I am truly humbled by this induction into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends that has honoured so many wonderful and creative marketing leaders over the years.”
— Rem Langan, former CMO, McDonald’s Canada, and president & CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada
“It’s such an honour to join the incredible group of innovators that have been previously recognized for their accomplishments. Canada’s leadership in loyalty marketing is acknowledged globally and I consider myself fortunate to have collaborated with an amazing team to grow and change the way people think about loyalty. I will celebrate this honour as one of the highlights of my journey as a marketer and a leader.”
— Bryan Pearson, former CEO, LoyaltyOne Co.
“When we started Nature’s Path out of the back of our vegetarian restaurant in 1985, we never imagined one day being recognized as Canadian Marketing Legends, we were just following our hearts, making delicious, organic cereals! We would like to thank Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends for finding us worthy of such an honour.”
— Arran Stephens, co-founder and chairman, Nature’s Path
“To say Arran and I learned everything we know about marketing ‘on the job’ is an understatement! We spent years learning about marketing, and are still learning every day at Nature’s Path. We are deeply grateful and humbled to receive this honour and be included in such esteemed company.”
— Ratana Stephens, co-founder and CEO, Nature’s Path
“It is an absolute honour to be inducted into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends! I started my career out 20 years ago in a different direct-to-consumer environment (door-to-door sales). Now I run a fully digital (ecommerce) brand, and while the marketing mediums have changed over the years, the principles have not.”
— Sahar Saidi, founder and CEO, LUS Brands
Quick Facts
● Since 2004, CMHOL has inducted 94 Canadian luminaries.
● The criteria for CMHOL selection include the overall impact that marketing professionals have demonstrated in the Canadian or global marketplace through their ideas and contributions to marketing and brand building, as well as what they have done to give back and better the marketing community.
● Each year, the CMHOL creates a jury, bringing together an accomplished, diverse group of Canadian marketers, media, agencies, association, and academic leaders to select candidates whom they feel meet and exceed these criteria.
● The reintroduction of the Marketer-on-the-Rise award, and the initiation of reforms to jury makeup and the Legend nomination and selection process, illustrates the association’s commitment to advancing DEI and to evolving CMHOL to better serve and reflect Canada’s marketing community.
Associated Links
Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends sets new standards for jury
Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends is open for entries
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For further information please contact:
Robert MacLean
VP, Public Relations, AMA Toronto
(416) 817-4259
