October 2025 President's Note

Happy October.

I hope your fall is off to a terrific start. As you may have heard, I took fall a little too literally while running the Berlin Marathon and ended up with seven breaks in my right arm that required surgery and kept me from finishing the race. The surgery is now behind me, and healing is underway.

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it’s a great time to reflect on all that I’m thankful for. You’re very high on the list. The incredible outpouring of support and kindness that I’ve received as news has spread about my accident and upcoming retirement in May has been amazing. Thank you.

It’s another example of our incredible community, and why it’s my absolute pleasure to lead the CMA. I’m also really excited about everything we have planned for the months ahead, and for all we will accomplish together with your support.

So far this fall, we’ve launched the CMA Mentorship program; welcomed a new Council term; produced our 25th issue of our weekly AI Playbook series; released three new CMA Connect podcast episodes; kicked off our fall CMA Certificate courses; and hosted a sold-out CMA Media Evolution event. Clearly, we’re not slowing down on our commitment to help future proof you and the marketing profession.

We have an outstanding line up of events this fall that will bring together our community across the country in person and virtually. First up, is our virtual Privacy Advantage event on October 16, which is Canada’s premier marketing AI and data event where industry leaders tackle critical questions shaping our profession.

This exclusive online event brings together Canada's Privacy Commissioner, AI innovators, and marketing executives to decode the complex landscape of data-driven marketing in Canada during uncertain economic times. It’s free for members and I would love for you to attend.

On October 21 and 23rd, our CMA Case for Canada roadshow will bring members together in Vancouver and Calgary and provide valuable insights on leading marketing trends, strategies, and opportunities for Canadian brands. The event sold out quickly in Toronto and I’m excited to see our members and the marketing community in Vancouver and Calgary. It’s also free for members.

The CMA Marketing Awards Show & Gala is fast approaching on November 7th. Award submissions exceeded 2024, and ticket sales are tracking well ahead of last year, so I encourage you to reserve your spot soon.

The award submissions have been very inspiring, and the evening promises to be an amazing celebration of your creativity.

Advocating on behalf of the marketing profession continues to be a top priority for the CMA and we’re making strong progress.

In our submission to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on their plans to develop a children's privacy code, and participation in their stakeholder consultation session, we call for a practical, risk-based approach that protects young Canadians while enabling businesses to innovate responsibly.

Sara, our Chief Public Affairs and Governance Officer, and I met with senior staff in the offices of Minister Solomon and Minister Joly to reinforce CMA’s role as the national voice of Canada’s marketing profession and highlight the critical role marketing plays in Canada’s economic success. We shared our long history of collaboration and work as a trusted thought leader on privacy and AI, and discussed our prebudget submission for funding to prepare the workforce for AI adoption and to upskill marketers.

Another way, we are future proofing the profession is by highlighting the critical role that marketing plays in business and Canada’s economy. Later this month, we will unveil the CMA Marketing Impact Study, which underscores and quantifies the essential role our profession plays in our country.

With the tectonic shifts happening in marketing, embracing learning and building new skills are crucial for futureproofing marketers at every level. To make it cost-effective, our members benefit from 50% savings across our learning offering.

Our Chartered Marketer (CM) program, Canada’s only professional marketing designation, is an outstanding example. It is now available on demand, offering the flexibility to adapt to your unique needs and marketing career goals.

• The courses are also available as stand alone, so you can start with one before committing to the full CM curriculum.
• We’ve also updated our CM curriculum to include the latest in GenAI and introduced a new AI elective. 
• Our Digital Marketing Skills Canada program is an exclusive opportunity for senior marketers in eligible innovative sectors to receive 100% funding for the CM designation. 

The launch of our CMA Mentorship program is off to a great start, and we are accepting applications for mentees and mentors until the end of October. I know the fall is a very busy time for many of us, so we will complete the pairings and then the program will officially kick off in January.

Being a mentor is a great way to give back to the profession, and we already have a long list of talented mentees looking to grow their careers. I’ve always learned as much as a mentor that I did as a mentee, and I encourage you to sign up. The program is exclusive to, and free for, CMA members.  

As always, I welcome the opportunity to meet one-to-one. So, don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to chat.

I hope you have a memory-rich Thanksgiving weekend with your family and friends.

Warmly,
Alison
President & CEO

P.S. Our CMA Connect podcast is a terrific way to learn from Canada’s top marketing leaders. You can access our latest episodes here.