June 2024 President's Note

Happy June.

My top highlight from May was seeing so many of you at our inaugural CMA Marketing Week. Close to 2,000 members and marketers from across Canada joined us, with many of you benefitting from the complimentary members-only Gen AI training and exclusive member events.

I’m writing to you from Ottawa this week, where we’re continuing our important advocacy work on behalf of our profession. Several senior members are joining me for meetings with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

We are also preparing our response to Alberta’s new privacy legislation and we’re releasing new guidance for members on Quebec Law 25 this month.

Supporting a regulatory environment that enables marketers and brands to excel while protecting Canadians is one of the key benefits the CMA provides.

Last week, we had a successful Annual General Meeting and welcomed a new Chair and five new Board Directors. Please join me in congratulating our new Chair Alan Depencier (Chief Marketing Officer, Personal and Commercial Banking and Insurance, RBC), and in welcoming our five new directors:

• Sophie Deschênes-Hébert, Senior Legal Counsel, TELUS 

• Bilal Jaffery, Senior Partner, Blend360

• John Peco, Associate Dean, School of Marketing, George Brown College 

• Eva Salem, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Brand, Canadian Tire

• Evan Wood, Executive Vice-President and Chief Strategy Officer, Environics Analytics

Alan’s exceptional leadership across his numerous CMA volunteer roles makes him well suited to assume the Chair role. Our new Directors are all standout leaders who expand the considerable diversity and expertise of our Board. Today's announcement further strengthens the Association and will help us achieve our vision to futureproof our profession.

As Kerri Dawson steps into the Past Chair role, I want to extend a warm thank you for her incredible partnership and all she has contributed as Chair. We have a stronger foundation and increased momentum thanks to her leadership.

The CMA’s strong focus on diversity, equity and inclusion continues with the release of our fourth – and largest – DEI survey this month. Our findings will be shared at CMAinclusion on June 20 – yet another event that  is complimentary for members.

I’m happy to share that, since launching in February, our innovative Digital Marketing Skills Canada (DMSC) program has upskilled 155 marketers in transition and from under-represented groups, including many talented new Chartered Marketers. An impressive percentage of these learners have started new jobs within 30 days of graduating, which speaks to the high-quality talent pipeline we’re building.

With our DMSC partners, the CMA has now launched a talent database featuring our graduates. It’s a terrific resource for anyone who’s hiring to match with marketers across a wide variety of levels, and who have the training required to excel in today’s environment.

Many of our members are heading to Cannes this month and I look forward to all the Lions that Canada will bring home. We’re excited to provide an inside view of what it’s like to judge at Cannes with two new CMA Connect podcast episodes that will be released during the festival.  

In keeping with the award theme, work is well underway for our 2024 CMA Awards. If you’re interested in judging, you only have a bit more time to apply.

The active involvement of our members is one of the most fulfilling aspects of leading the CMA. On June 11, members from CMA’s nine Councils will gather in person to celebrate their accomplishments over the past year. It promises to be an inspiring afternoon. If you’re interested in joining a CMA Council or Committee, you can learn more here.  

June is Pride Month and we’re looking forward to celebrating the diversity of LGBTQ2S+ communities, while acknowledging the hardships they’ve endured, and the progress that has been made and still needs to be made.

I’ll end on a festive and summery note by inviting you to join us at our CMA Summer Social on July 17. It’s a terrific way to reconnect with friends in the industry. Bring your colleagues and avoid the hassle of planning your own team summer social. I look forward to raising a toast together!

Warm regards,

Alison Simpson
President & CEO

P.S. Please join me in welcoming our 14 newest CMA members: Reddit, Paramount Entertainment Canada, Cadillac Fairview, CastleUp Digital Solutions, SkiptheDishes, Data Sciences Inc, Public Label, Hard Work Club, Datalogy Analytics Inc, Ontario Disability Employment Network, French Dressing Jeans Inc, MSL Canada, North Strategic, Notch Video, and Ontario SPCA and Humane Society