CMA Leadership Team

Meet the Leaders of the Canadian Marketing Association

Alison Simpson - President and CEO

Alison is an accomplished executive leader, and an award-winning marketer with extensive brand and agency experience. Prior to CMA, she was president of several agencies and has served as marketing lead for top tier brands, including Holt Renfrew, Rogers Communications, and TMX Group. She is a director of the CNIB Foundation (Ontario + Quebec Regions) and serves on the Advisory Board for the Master of Management Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Program at the Smith School of Business.

Barry Alexander - Chief Marketing and Diversity Officer

Barry is a passionate, data-driven marketer who has served as a senior marketing and strategy leader on a diverse set of consumer brands. As Chief Marketing and Diversity Officer, Barry is responsible for all marketing, events, thought leadership and media efforts as well as spearheading our DEI impact initiatives and partnerships. Prior to the CMA, Barry held senior marketing roles with Knix, Iovate Health Sciences, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Maple Leaf Foods and Molson and has served as a member of the Humber Business Program Advisory Committee and as a mentor with the Black Talent Initiative.

Sarah Bertucci - Vice-President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer

Sarah is a Senior Executive Team member reporting to the President, providing strategic leadership and direction of the Finance and Operations Team. Responsible for development and review of accounting policies, practices and internal controls to ensure that CMA‘s assets are safeguarded, Sarah manages general accounting, financial reporting, payroll, benefits, insurance, budget and forecasts, treasury operations and audit. She is a practitioner of continuous improvement of the financial processes and systems supporting the organization.

Sara Clodman - Chief Public Affairs and Governance Officer

Sara is a mediator and public affairs executive with more than 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors and association management. Her key skills include a deep understanding of business and communications strategy and execution, stakeholder relations and change management. At the CMA, she works with thought leaders and experts (including marketing professionals and experts in law, compliance, research and more) to guide the development of CMA positions on public policy issues, and advocates to government and regulators on behalf of the marketing profession. In addition, Sara oversees research, serves as the Association’s corporate secretary, and also as its chief privacy officer. She is a member of the Board of the Digital Advertising Association of Canada, which runs the AdChoices self-regulatory programs, and the Political Ads Program. Sara has an MBA in finance and is a former Vice-Chair of Toronto’s Committee of Adjustment, and a former director of Bridgepoint Hospital.

Natasha Upal - Chief Membership and Learning Officer

Natasha is a strategic business development leader and marketer who started her career in usability design and training and has global experience developing brands, scaling businesses, sourcing new revenue opportunities, and driving results through strategy built on data analytics and customer insights. As Chief of Membership and Learning, Natasha is responsible for partnerships and business development of CMA membership as well as the development and evolution of Chartered Marketer, training, education and certificate courses. Prior roles include leadership positions at Clover Inc, Financeit, Aviva Insurance, Yahoo! Europe and British Telecommunications. Natasha holds a post-graduate diploma from the British Chartered Institute of Marketing – the U.K. equivalent of the CMA’s Chartered Marketer (CM) designation.