CANADA'S MARKETING HALL OF LEGENDS NAMES 2022 WINNERS
Six Canadian marketers recognized for remarkable leadership achievements
TORONTO, February 28, 2022 — Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends (CMHOL), one of Canada’s most respected and renowned industry awards, is announcing the induction of five new Legends and this year’s Marketer-on-the-Rise.
Canada’s newest Marketing Legends are:
- Chris Lang, former chairman, Lang Partnerships Network
- Zak Mroueh, founder and chief creative officer, Zulu Alpha Kilo
- Brenda Pritchard, partner, Gowling WLG
- Dani Reiss, president and CEO, Canada Goose Inc.
- Edie Weiss, president and CEO, Radke Film Group
The 2022 Marketer-on-the-Rise is Marie Chevrier Schwartz, founder and CEO of Sampler, a leading digital product-sampling company.
“Each of these diverse Canadians has elevated our industry in Canada and on the international stage and are being recognized for their remarkable leadership achievements,” says Tina Portillo, president of AMA Toronto, the association that runs CMHOL. “Through the Marketing Hall of Legends, their career stories are celebrated to inspire us, share wisdom, and ultimately help empower new leadership and business growth throughout our community.”
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 celebrates Canada’s top up-and-comers — the next generation of influential marketing leaders.
The award winners will be honoured and formally inducted by AMA Toronto on May 12 at an in-person gala event.
The 2022 Marketing Legends were carefully chosen from this year’s nominations by a selection committee made up of a distinguished and diverse group of marketing experts. The selection committee was chaired by 2020 Legend inductee Nancy Marcus, former chief marketing officer at Kruger Products and one of Canada’s most recognized marketing professionals in the consumer-packaged goods industry.
“This year’s inductees into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends are exceptional trailblazers from parts of the industry that we have not previously focused on,” says Marcus. “The selection committee delivered a number of “firsts,” acknowledging Legends in our film production, legal and sponsorship sectors.”
The award recipients this year embody a more diverse swath of marketing disciplines than ever before. Brenda Prichard is the first advertising and marketing lawyer to be honoured by Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends, and Edie Weiss, who founded one of Canada’s leading advertising production companies, is the first recipient from the commercial film industry. In another first, Chris Lang, “the Guru of Canadian partnership marketing,” is being honoured posthumously for his innovation and progressive leadership in sponsorship.
“Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends is the longest-running industry program of its type,” says Jacob Kessler, VP, CMHOL, AMA Toronto. “Only a select few are inducted each year, making the award a highly-coveted badge of honour.”
In addition to their induction into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends, award winners will participate in AMA Toronto’s popular Legendary Leadership Series of live events and the forthcoming video series “Legend’s Journey.”
Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends is made possible by AMA Toronto sponsors and partners that include: Lulu Marketing Communications, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, and the Globe Media Group.
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 life-time of achievements and leadership. Nominations for induction are held annually.
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. The AMA, with more than 30,000 members and 70 chapters across North America, is the largest not-for-profit marketing association in the world serving organizations and individuals who practice, teach and study marketing.
Legendary Quotes
“It is an absolute honour to see Chris Lang inducted into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends. Chris had the unique ability to transition his thinking on sponsorships and partnerships within the global marketplace for over 50 years. It was a gift to work with him. Chris mentored and guided many of the top marketing leaders in Canadian business and now, as the industry looks forward, within the sphere of corporate partnerships, the future of this industry now belongs to passionate innovators following in the steps of Chris Lang.”
– Mike Lang, CEO, Lang Partnerships
“When I look at all the inductees since 2005, I see so many faces who inspired me when I first started. It’s humbling to be featured alongside many of my heroes. I’m 2/4 thankful for all the mentors, marketers, and creative collaborators who have helped shape my journey.”
– Zak Mroueh, founder and chief creative officer, Zulu Alpha Kilo
“I am extremely honoured to be the recipient of an award that reflects the power of creativity. When I began my law career, marketing lawyers were considered “Dr. No” – a major roadblock to the creative process. I am humbled to now be inducted among these talented and innovative marketers who have blazed the trail before me.”
– Brenda Pritchard, partner, Gowling WLG
“It is a privilege to be inducted into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends alongside so many incredible Canadian leaders from over the years. When I took over Canada Goose in 2001, our team had a vision of bringing Canadian craftsmanship and expertise in warmth to the world. Today, we are proud to be a Canadian global luxury brand and attribute much of our success to our authenticity and our values as we’ve grown our business around the world. I am grateful for this recognition and for all that we’ve achieved, and share it with the passionate team at the heart of Canada Goose.”
– Dani Reiss, president and CEO, Canada Goose
“Wow! I hope that in being recognized as a Marketer-on-the-Rise, I can inspire other marketers with a unique perspective on a part of our industry to trust their gut and to bring forward their innovative ideas within their organizations or to take the leap into entrepreneurship as I did. Thank you to AMA Toronto for this incredible honour and to the Sampler team for continuing to push the boundaries of our space.”
– Marie Chevrier Schwartz, CEO and founder of Sampler
“I am deeply moved that I was chosen to be the first recipient from the commercial film production industry. Giving back has always been a hallmark of the amazing past legends, so I attribute this tremendous honour to my efforts creating POV, an organization that creates opportunities for diverse young people to have meaningful careers in TV, film or advertising production.”
– Edie Weiss, president and CEO, Radke Film Group
Quick Facts
- Since 2004, CMHOL has inducted nearly 100 Canadian luminaries.
- Progressive changes in 2021 transformed CMHOL to better serve and reflect the diverse character of the marketing community. The selection committee and the nomination and selection processes were revamped, and a more inclusive focus on all sectors of the industry was initiated.
- Last year, CMHOL welcomed Judy John, global chief creative officer, Edelman; Arran and Tatana Stephens, founders of Nature’s Path Foods, the leading organic cereal brand in North America; and trailblazer Sharifa Khan, president and CEO, Balmoral Multicultural Marketing. Bryan Pearson, former CEO of Loyalty One; and Rem Langan, former CMO, McDonald’s Canada, were also honoured.
Associated Links
For further information please contact:
Robert MacLean
VP, Public Relations,
AMA Toronto
[email protected]
(416) 817-4259
Elvina Bulatova
Manager, Public Relations, AMA Toronto
[email protected]
(437) 983-0301