AMA TORONTO February 2022 BLOG
February may be the shortest month of the year but it’s one of the busiest for AMA Toronto. We’ve got events, competitions, guest speakers, special announcements, legend highlights and more. And in the spirit of Saint Valentine, we want to once again show some love for all our volunteers who take time out of their busy lives to help keep this Toronto chapter of the American Marketing Association current and ahead of the game.
Inclusivity – More Than Just Black History Month
February is Black History Month and AMA Toronto not only recognizes the importance of this month but calls on all marketers to support our diverse community each and every day. AMA Toronto has committed to placing DEI at the center of all we do and have joined other AMA Chapters across Canada and the U.S in signing the DEI Pledge. This year, AMA Toronto was recognized with a Chapter Excellence award and specifically for our commitment in supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). From strategy development to implementation, our chapter’s DEI and Leadership team continuously makes it a priority to ensure greater diversity, equity and inclusion across all AMA Toronto programs to create a positive impact on our community. You can read more about our commitment here: AMA Toronto, together with our community, are taking action and we need more than words to fight racism, inequity, and discrimination. AMA Toronto believes strong leadership, impartial action, and commitment to equity are required to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our community.
AMA Toronto strives to apply a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to our activities to remove barriers, fuel our innovation and connect us closer to the communities we work in and live to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.
Award-Winning Leadership
A loud and proud shoutout to AMA Toronto’s very own Craig Lund, the 2022 Ric Sweeney Volunteer of the Year Award recipient!
Craig is an exceptional leader with unparalleled contributions towards building an essential community of marketers in both Canada and the U.S. He has served 16 years on the AMA Toronto board as President (3 years), Executive Member (13 years), VP Mentoring (13 years), VP Programming, Secretary, and so much more. Craig is also lending his subject matter expertise to the new AMA Mentorship Task Force. We are so grateful for his leadership, insights, contributions and for the energy he brings to our chapter. Bravo, Craig!
Young Lions Roaring into 2022
AMA Toronto is known for championing up and coming marketing stars. We also love sharing when our partners, such as the Globe and Mail, also recognize the work that tomorrow’s business and marketing talent bring which is why we’re talking about The Young Lions 2022 Competition. Hosted by the Globe & Mail, this event highlights the best young advertising and creative stars who go head-to-head to be crowned Canada’s best. AMA Toronto is proud to share this prestigious event and hope you check in to see the best and the brightest creatives. Gold-winners go on to the Global Young Lions Competition to compete against some of the most creative teams from all over the world.
Competition categories are Print, Film, Digital, Media or Marketers. Registration closes February 21. https://globeandmailyounglions.ca/
Marketing Legends Talk Purpose and Authenticity
AMA Toronto is thrilled to offer insights from national and global leaders in business and marketing and we’ve got a very special event. Join us virtually on February 23 when we present Zach Mercurio, a positive organization and leadership development researcher, sought-after keynote speaker, and author who explains how he helps leaders and organizations thrive. He will discuss authentic and purpose driven leadership, as well as its importance and impacts on brands and organizations. Check out his latest book here – a must read for all leaders who strive to lead with purpose.
Joining Zach will be Ian Rosen, Executive Vice President Digital and Strategy from Harry Rosen, who will illustrate a real-life example of a Canadian purpose driven brand that leads with authenticity and validity. He’ll share how the influence of this approach has helped the organization grow and evolve, as well as benefits employees. The event will be moderated by AMA Toronto Advisory Board member and Harry Rosen Chief Marketing Officer Trinh Tham. We know you’ll gain valuable insights and as a special offer for AMA, Zach is giving away book prizes to a few lucky winners at the event, so don’t miss this. Register here!
2022 Hall of Legends Announcement
This month I was honored to participate in the CMHOL Jury Day with new Co-Chair Nancy Marcus and an esteemed selection panel of judges as they deliberated on the 2022 new Marketing Hall of Legend Inductees.
Originally launched in 2004, Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends honours Canadians who have dedicated their professional lives to pursuing excellence in marketing, and has become one of the country’s most respected industry awards. Canada’s marketing landscape is composed of dynamic, successful, and confident leaders. To celebrate Canada’s marketing talent and business leaders, AMA Toronto created Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends to honour Canadians who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of excellence in the field of marketing. It is meant to honour a body of work and a lifetime of achievements.
Out of that experience, is a list of esteemed marketing legends which we are excited to officially announce very soon. Look for the 2022 Inductees to Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends/ Marketer on the Rise at the end of this month. And of course, mark your calendars for the big annual event, our Marketing Hall of Legends Gala in May where we will celebrate with in person and virtual options. Stay tuned for more details on how to attend!
Speaking of Legends, on Feb 9th we celebrated Marketing Legend inductee Judy John – Global Chief Creative Officer at Edelman, renowned for her award winning campaigns, she shared how she stays on the cutting edge of creativity with insights for staying creative (through the power of play and imagination!) and how she manages work life balance. Event attendees had a chance to network and ask Judy questions live – what a chance of a lifetime to hear from Judy and to learn from her award-winning career. Our Legendary Leadership series continues later this year, so don’t forget to save the date on April 6th where we will be celebrating three more Marketing Hall of Legends, who will share their stories as Marketing Founders – including Rem Langan – Former CMO of McDonalds and Former President and CEO Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada, Bryan Pearson – Former CEO, Loyalty One and Sharifa Khan – CEO, Balmoral Multicultural Agency. Save your spot and register here today.
Lastly – I’m thrilled that we will be launching “Legends Journey – Lessons in Leadership” as another way in which AMA Toronto continues to empower your leadership potential. This exciting new content series hosted by Tony Chapman, draws on lessons from some of the most remarkable marketing legends like Joe Mimran, Arlene Dickenson, Angus Reid and others, who impart their wisdom and share their unique lessons in leadership with us – stay tuned for more exciting content from AMA Toronto Canada’s Marketing Legends in the coming months!
Accelerate Your Career – Now!
AMA Toronto’s Career Accelerator mentorship program helps young marketing professionals further their career with the help of an experienced marketing professional. AMA Toronto’s mentorship programs are sponsored by Scotiabank and have helped catapult many marketers to the next stage in their careers. The Career Accelerator program was inspired by the success of the Mentor Exchange program, and is specifically designed to meet the needs of junior marketing professionals looking to move up the ladder in their careers. The mentorship program runs from April to January of each year, with applications and matching taking place between February to April.
Career Accelerator mentorship registration is now open for mentees looking to jumpstart their career – program starts in April. Don’t miss your chance to benefit from mentorship – register here today.
Cheers,
Tina
