Jeanne Beker shares marketing inspiration from the golden era of fashion
Canadian media legend talks courage, adversity and life lessons for future marketing leaders
TORONTO, March 4, 2025 – “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
In celebration of International Women’s Day, AMA Toronto welcomed marketers to IBM’s York Street office for an exclusive fireside chat with Jeanne Beker, a member of Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends and one of the country’s most iconic media personalities and fashion experts.
The event, part of the chapter’s Legendary Leadership Series, was moderated by Stephan Argent, founder and CEO of Listenmore. The intimate conversation explored Beker’s ground-breaking career as the host of The NewMusic and Fashion Television, together with stories from her new memoir, Heart on My Sleeve: Stories from a Life Well Worn.
Beker also shared her thoughts on personal branding and her widespread appeal, as well as reflections on her recent cancer journey.
In her welcome remarks, 2021 Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends inductee Sharifa Khan, president and CEO of Balmoral Multicultural Marketing, captured the importance of reflecting on the past to awaken the future.
“I strongly believe that to inspire and develop the next generation of leaders in our industry, the stories, the experiences and the lessons of our most accomplished marketers need to be celebrated,” Khan said.
The daughter of Polish Holocaust survivors, Beker told the audience that growing up on stories from the war gave her the courage to step out of her comfort zone at a young age to pursue a career in television.
“My dad’s motto was always, ‘Don’t be afraid and never give up,’” she said. “That’s probably the most important advice you can give anyone. If you’re fearless and tenacious, you can achieve just about anything.”
Those words guided Beker as she went on to interview some of the biggest names (and egos) in the world, including Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Karl Lagerfeld and Alexander McQueen.
“I became an example of someone who wanted to have it all, and kind of did. You don’t have it all at once maybe, but you can really sink your teeth into a lot of incredible things in this life and take a great bite and really savor it if you don’t limit yourself,” Beker said.
Beker credits an encounter with Citytv and MuchMusic founder Moses Znaimer early in her career, during which the media mogul pressured her to articulate what she represented, for instilling in her an important lesson in building a personal brand.
“It had to do with authenticity, but it also had to do with being consistent, and it had to do with having a point of view,” Beker said.
A knack for staying relevant and plugged-in made Beker a major draw for a generation of young Canadians eager for their first glimpse into the world of music and fashion.
“I was just the girl next door that was going to take viewers by the hand and try to blow away some of the smoke and mirrors and demystify the scene for them,” she added.
A later stint as editor-in-chief of Fashion Quarterly magazine further convinced Beker that psychographics – not demographics – were the way to go when it came to reaching a wider audience with her work.
“I wanted an 18-year-old to be able to appreciate it as much as an 88-year-old would appreciate it,” she said. “I really believe that if you give someone something that’s absolutely entertaining and edifying and cool and magical and inspiring, why should there be an age limit on it?”
After everything she had achieved in her career, however, Beker’s courage and determination were put to the ultimate test in 2022 when she was diagnosed with cancer.
“I try to live in the light and be positive, because that’s one thing we get to choose, no matter what – our attitude – and it’s everything, absolutely everything,” she said.
Beker carried that mindset with her to Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital when she went to meet with her oncologist for the first time.
“That first day, I remembered something that Confucius once said: ‘Wherever you go, go with all your heart.’ And I decided right then and there, I was going to go into this place, it was going to be my temple of healing, and it was a place that was going to help me get better,” she said.
Now in her seventies, cancer-free and showing no sign of slowing down, Beker told the audience she wants to inspire the next generation to dream big and believe in whatever they do.
“Oscar de la Renta said to me that one of his doctors told him, ‘When you rest, you rust.’ And I really firmly believe that. So, I have no intention of resting anytime soon. I’m determined to keep on as long as I’m gleaning joy from it,” she said.
AMA Toronto would like to thank our sponsor Balmoral Multicultural Marketing. We also extend our thanks to Score Promotions, venue partner IBM and production partner Stonehenge Digital Studios for supporting the Legendary Leadership Series. Visit our Events page for details on upcoming AMA Toronto events.
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. The award, created to spotlight the stories, people and brands behind Canada’s greatest marketing successes, recognizes a noteworthy body of work and a life-time of achievements and leadership, including contributions that have made our community a better place. Nominate someone you admire for Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends.
About AMA Toronto
AMA Toronto is a not-for-profit 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. Prior to relocating to Toronto, he lived and worked in Shanghai, where he led international marketing communications for China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). He has also worked with brands such as Education First, Disney and Porsche. Michael has a BA in film studies and philosophy from Western University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in marketing at Schulich School of Business (York University).
About the photographer
Duo Ma is the director of volunteer onboarding and a photographer for AMA Toronto. Outside of AMA, she works as a Marketing and Trade Show Coordinator at Top Grade Molds. She has a master’s in marketing from Schulich School of Business. Her passion for photography has been a lifelong pursuit, stemming from her early years, and she takes joy in capturing cherished moments through her lens.
