June 2025 President's Note

As summer approaches, we have a lot planned to futureproof marketing by providing valuable learning, bringing our community together for healthy debate on key topics, and opportunities to raise a toast to our profession. It’s also a great way to welcome the 31 new member organizations who have joined the CMA since January.

On Thursday, members from CMA’s nine councils are coming together to celebrate their many thought leadership contributions and discuss the future of marketing. The active involvement of our members is one of the most fulfilling aspects of leading the CMA and I’m looking forward to a great afternoon. We’re beginning to recruit members for the new term, which begins in September. If you’re interested in joining a CMA Council or Committee, you can learn more here.  

Understanding Canadian consumers and our marketplace has never been more important, as we all navigate through Trump, tariffs and renewed Canadian patriotism. On June 11, we’re hosting The Case for Canada. This hybrid event will focus on the latest insights, trends and success stories shaping Canadian marketing, while fostering a meaningful conversation about our country’s path forward.

Members enjoy a significantly discounted price of $25 for the in-person event or can attend virtually for free.

Our CMA Connect podcast is another way we’re helping our members understand the evolving landscape. My latest episodes feature (1) new research from Kantar and Numerator on how Canadians are feeling and how they’re changing their purchasing behaviours, and (2) how the CAA has evolved to stay relevant for more than 100 years.

Last week, we had a successful Annual General Meeting, welcomed two new Board Directors and a new Vice Chair and expanded our individual affiliate offering. Please join me in welcoming Susan Irving (CMO of Kruger Products) and Bryan Kane (CEO of FCB Canada) to our Board and congratulating our new Vice Chair Meghan Nameth (President and COO of Heads Up).

To quote our talented Board Chair Alan Depencier: “Susan and Bryan are highly respected marketing leaders who bring valuable insights and deep experience to our board. I look forward to working with them and our returning directors as we continue to support the advancement of marketing in Canada. I’m thrilled to be working closely with Meghan, now in the vice-chair role. The board will continue to benefit from her strong expertise, SME experience and over 25 years of success in the industry.”

As our Past Chair Kerri Dawson and Board Director Amanda Maltby complete their terms, I want to extend a warm thank you for their incredible partnership and all they contributed. The CMA is stronger thanks to their leadership.

Professional development is key to futureproofing yourself and your teams and the CMA has expanded our efforts to help deliver on this crucial need. We also appreciate that budgets are challenging and members benefit from 50% savings. Here are a few highlights:

• Our Chartered Marketer (CM) program, Canada’s only professional marketing designation, is available on demand so you can learn at a pace that suits you best. We’ve also introduced a new AI CM Elective and embedded AI across the curriculum.
• We’ve launched two new on-demand certificate courses
• Mastering Leadership Skills provides leaders and aspiring leaders with the influence and power skills they need to succeed.
• Marketing in Canada ensures experienced marketing newcomers have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the Canadian market
• Our innovative Digital Marketing Skills Canada upskilling program is now open to marketers employed in the government’s priority industries, including telco, retail grocery, food CPG brands, automotive, food processing, medical technology and electronics, to name a few. 
• This is a great way to earn the Chartered Marketer designation, fully funded by the Government of Canada, in partnership with Palette Skills. 

I’m excited to join our members heading to Cannes this month and to celebrating all the Lions Awards that Canada will bring home. I’m looking forward to sharing an inside view of Cannes with two new CMA Connect podcast episodes from the festival.  

In keeping with the award theme, work is well underway for our 2025 CMA Awards. If you’re interested in judging or benefitting from early bird pricing for award submissions, act soon before time runs out.

June is Pride Month, an important time to celebrate the diversity of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, while acknowledging the challenges they’ve faced, and the progress that still needs to be made.

I’ll end on a festive note by inviting you to our CMA Summer Social on July 17. It’s a terrific way to reconnect with friends and meet some new peers. I look forward to raising a toast together!

Warmly,

Alison Simpson
President & CEO

P.S. Another way we are helping futureproof marketing is with our weekly CMA AI Mastery Series, through our AI Committee. Every Friday, we release a new playbook, providing strategic insights and practical applications to guide you through the complexities of AI in marketing. We’ve released eight so far and they’re a highly valuable resource.