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

Erika DeHaas

Vice President, Marketing Communications, Sobeys

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Chair

Mark Palmer

Director, Corporate Sponsorships - Toronto Blue Jays, Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada

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Member

Solange Bernard

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

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Member

Alanna Rubino

Head of Partnership Marketing, SkipTheDishes Restaurant Services Inc.

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Ben Seaton

EVP, Client Business Partner, UM Canada

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Member

Jim Kozak

Senior Vice President, MediaCom Canada

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Member

Julie Garcia Sjogrim

Senior Director, Partnerships, Business Development & Commercial Affairs, Canadian Olympic Committee

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Member

Kelly Cranston

Director, Sponsorship Marketing, Visa Canada Corporation

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Member

Kim Saunders

VP, ESG Strategy, Community Impact and Sport Partnerships, Canadian Tire Corporation

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Member

Manpreet Pandha

Senior Manager, Sponsorship and Loyalty Marketing Initiatives, BMO Bank of Montreal

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Member

Marijke Vandergrift

Associate Director, Sponsorship, SickKids Foundation

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Member

Michael Smith

Group Head, Partnerships, Diamond Integrated Marketing

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Member

Mitch Sharma

Manager, Sports Sponsorships, TD Bank Group

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Member

Steve Muscat

VP, Strategic Partnerships, Active International

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Member

Peter Farfaras

Vice President, Commercial Development & Strategic Partnerships, NLogic

Recent Articles Authored by Council

What social purpose means for brands

It is seen as an ever-evolving landscape, but one thing is for certain: a brand’s purpose is an enabler and a core tenant of its value proposition – both internally and externally.

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Who is responsible for building whose brand?

The debate of who is responsible for building whose brand between properties and brands is a hot topic during any partnership negotiation..

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Corporate trade and sponsorship ROI

In a “do more with less” culture, sponsorships have come under fire due to massive disruption, financial risk management and inability to quantify return on investment (ROI)...

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Whitepaper: Tools and tips for sponsorship effectiveness

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Cause sponsorship and COVID-19: From the what to the why

COVID-19 has had a unique and arguably profound effect on cause sponsorship in the Canadian market. The effects have been immediate and possibly long-lasting. Most notable is the overall compression ...

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Navigating sponsorships in times of uncertainty: Lessons learned from COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced sponsored properties (such as sports teams, charities and the Olympics) to make fundamental changes to event and programming plans, which will be felt both in the imm...

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Major Sponsors

  • BMO-800x450
  • canada-post_2022
  • CIBC-800x450
  • Environics Analytics