Award honours those who embody spirit of mentorship and giving back to their community
TORONTO, May 15, 2024 – The Toronto chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) has announced the creation of a new AMA Toronto Luminary Award this month.
Introduced for the 20th anniversary of Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends, the Luminary Award honours individuals who embody the long tradition of mentorship and knowledge-sharing that defines the Hall’s spirit.
“This award shows appreciation, gratitude and recognition to a marketing Legend who is an outstanding and important member of our chapter,” says Santo Ligotti, president of AMA Toronto. “It goes to someone who not only advocates for the association, but also volunteers and helps to empower leadership potential among its membership.”
The inaugural Luminary Award was presented at this year’s Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends gala to 2005 Hall inductee Dr. Alan Middleton.
Spanning more than 50 years and three continents, Dr. Middleton’s career has taken him on a journey from in-house marketer to ad agency executive to distinguished academic. For the past 15 years, he has also given back by volunteering as part of AMA Toronto’s Mentor Exchange program.
“Dr. Middleton has worked with the AMA for many years, using his experience to help in shaping the initiatives that have become cornerstones of our chapter, and he has done so selflessly and without an agenda other than to support what our chapter does,” Ligotti says.
During the May 15 award presentation, Dr. Middleton shared some of his thoughts on the state of business and the role marketing (and mentoring) can play in the organization of the future.
“In any organization, the accountant needs to think about the marketing angle, the production manager needs to think about marketing. We’ve got to stop these silos with people specializing and not paying attention to how things integrate,” he says.
He adds that, “One of the things that should also be dead in organizations is long hierarchies of people who tell the next level down what to do and don’t listen.”
In particular, Dr. Middleton says, organizations could benefit from “reverse mentoring,” where senior executives are mentored by young people to better understand how activities on the ground tie into their overall strategies.
“It’s a way of people gathering advice and counsel and learning from people, but without being told what to do,” he says. “The organization of the future will need to have more and more people listening to those on the front line who are dealing with the customer.”
Ultimately, he adds, whether you are a bank or a toy company or a government, marketers will need to play a central role in charting the road ahead.
“We need to make sure marketing is seen as a critical part of the overall strategy of the organization and not just an executional device,” Dr. Middleton says. “It’s a way to think about the future.”
About Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends
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. Learn more here.
About AMA Toronto
The Toronto Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA Toronto) is a community of volunteer marketers who have been empowering leadership and business growth for more than 70 years in Canada. With more than 30,000 members and 70 chapters across North America, the AMA is the largest not-for-profit marketing association in the world serving organizations and individuals who practice, teach and study marketing.
About the author
Michael Thede is a PR manager and senior writer with AMA Toronto. He recently moved to Toronto after 20 years in Asia where he led international communications for a business school in Shanghai. He has also worked for brands such as Education First, Disney and Porsche. Michael studied film and philosophy at the University of Western Ontario and is a graduate of the Writing for Film & TV program at Vancouver Film School. Connect with him on LinkedIn here.
