Sponsorship Council


The Sponsorship Council, a joint strategic initiative between the CMA and the SMCC, helps raise the profile of sponsorship as an integral component of the marketing mix through thought leadership, best practices and networking opportunities.

Council Members

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Chair

Marijke Vandergrift

Director, Brand and Partnerships, Canadian Women and Sport

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Chair

Solange Bernard

Senior Director, Marketing Communications, Tim Hortons Advertising and Promotion Fund Canada Inc.

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Member

Riah Sethna

Senior Director, Strategy & Digital, Live Nation

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Member

Kyle Huson

Senior Partnerships Consultant, Diamond Marketing

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Member

Mitch Thompson

Co-Founder & CEO, PandoPartner

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Member

Alanna Rubino

Head of Loyalty and Activations, Just Eat Takeaway.com, SkipTheDishes Restaurant Services Inc.

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Member

Ben Seaton

CEO, UM Canada

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Member

Cheryl Sebastian

AVP, Global Partnerships, National Basketball Association (NBA)

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Member

Julie Garcia Sjogrim

Vice President, Corporate and Community Partnerships , SickKids Foundation

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Member

Manpreet Pandha

Senior Manager, Enterprise Sponsorships, North America , BMO Bank of Montreal

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Member

Sophie Kotsopoulos

Group Vice President, Integrated Marketing, National Hockey League

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Member

Diana Brenchley

Director, Marketing Activation - FIFA World Cup 2026, Coca-Cola

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Member

Kelley Tessier

Senior Director, Brand and Digital Marketing, Canadian Olympic Committee

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Member

Chris Desjardins

SVP, Managing Director, Publicis Sport & Entertainment, Publicis Canada

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Member

Tim Ritcey

Senior Director, Partnerships, Golf Canada

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Member

Rahul Nanda

Corporate Partnerships Manager, TIFF

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Member

Sara Nader

Senior Manager, Strategic Sponsorships, CIBC - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Recent Articles Authored by Council

Key themes from this year’s Canadian Sponsorship Marketing Awards

Each year, the Canadian Sponsorship Marketing Awards (SMAs) celebrate the campaigns and sponsorships that set new benchmarks for creativity, authenticity and impact in sponsorship marketing.

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4 Nations Face-Off

For two weeks in February, 4 Nations Face-Off (4NFO) dominated sports media across North America. With over 43.9 million viewers tuning in across the continent, best-on-best hockey brought unmatched competitive edge and cultural relevancy.

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Same, same, but different

While my time at Ethnicity Matters has come to an end, upon reflection on my time, I wanted to share a bit of what I learned.

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The untapped potential of investing in women’s professional sport in Canada

The puck dropped on November 30 for the second Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season, and this season is set to be another blockbuster year

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Do sports fans care about women’s sports?

In a recent CMA thought leader panel event titled "The Future of Branding Through Women’s Sports," industry leaders came together to debunk prevalent misconceptions and highlight the rapidly growing interest in women's sports among Canadians.

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Sponsorship during an economic downturn

According to PwC's Global CEO Survey, a staggering 73 per cent of CEOs expect a decline in global economic growth over the next year

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Major Sponsors

  • CIBC-800x450
  • Microsoft-2023