Nominations now open for Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends

by Chris Powell

The American Marketing Association’s Toronto chapter is now accepting nominations for 2022 inductees into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends.

The selection committee for the event, comprised of current Canadian marketing leaders, media and past winners, is being chaired by Nancy Marcus, former chief marketing officer at Kruger Products and a 2020 inductee into the CMHOL.

“Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends is continuing to reflect its invigorated commitment to equity and inclusiveness while recognizing true Canadian legends,” said Marcus in a release. “We have assembled a distinguished and accomplished jury that reflects a mosaic of talent in our industry.”

This year’s selection committee is comprised of:

  • Sarena Ally, global partner marketing lead, agencies, Shopify;
  • Vaness Gaik, head of industry, TikTok Canada;
  • Lisa Kimmel, chair and CEO, Canada and Latin America, Edelman;
  • Anne Marie Leclair, partner and vice-president, strategy and innovation, lg2;
  • Chris Powell, co-founder and editor, The Message;
  • Bobby Sahni, partner and co-founder, Ethnicity Matters;
  • Jacqueline Simpson, president, BC AMA
  • Garth Thomas, managing director, business and financial products, The Globe and Mail;
  • Jani Yates, president and CEO, Ad Standards Canada
  • Wahn Yoon, president Bleublancrouge Toronto

Nearly 100 marketing luminaries have been inducted into the CMHOL since its 2004 inception, with prospective inductees judged on the overall impact they’ve had on the Canadian or global marketplace, and what they have done to give back and better the marketing community.

“Canada’s Marketing Legends not only celebrates our country’s top marketers. It promotes business excellence, shares knowledge and empowers leadership potential within our industry,” said AMA Toronto president Tina Portillo in a release.

“We’re excited to see who will become Canada’s next Marketing Legends. As we strive to reflect the diversity of talent in the industry, we invite nominations from across the marketing and business community to spotlight the outstanding achievers who deserve to be recognized as a Marketing Legend.”

The CMHOL significantly expanded its national outreach last year to attract a broader range of nominations with an eye towards addressing and enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion. The makeup of the jury was also reformed, and new criteria for Legend nominations and selection also established.

According to the CMHOL, these changes enable it to more accurately represent the marketing community in regards to geography, line-of-business, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation.

In addition to their induction into the CMHOL, award winners participate in AMA Toronto’s “Legendary Leadership Series,” an ongoing virtual series exploring the stories, achievements, influence and learnings of a different Marketing Legend.

The CMHOL is also expanding its programming next year with the launch of Legend’s Journey, a new video series hosted by 2008 Marketing Legend Tony Chapman. Turning the Marketing Hall of Legends into “a hall of learning,” each episode will feature lessons from inductees such as Angus Reid, Arlene Dickinson and Joe Mimran.

Nominations for the 2022 CMHOL will be accepted on the AMA Toronto website until Jan. 22. Award winners will be announced in March, and formally recognized and honoured by AMA Toronto on May 12, 2022.

Chris Powell