The Marketing Hall of Legends announced the first of its 2009 inductees yesterday. The first three are Allan Kazmer, Kate Taylor and Wayne Sales.
Kazmer, a freelance writer and former Ontario College of Art & Design faculty member is to be inducted as a mentor, while Taylor, the president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Sales, the vice-chairman of Canadian Tire, will be inducted as marketing builders. They are “among the nation’s intellectual and business elite,” said MHOL co-chair Stéfan Danis in a release.
The inductees were nominated by their peers and then selected by a panel of judges, including York University marketing professor Alan Middleton and director of Centennial College’s marketing program Rosanna Cavallaro.
Sales and Taylor are being awarded the legend status based on their success in building brands, while Kazmer was chosen because of his influence on the marketing community. MHOL co-chair Jim Warrington says Sales is being inducted because he took Canadian Tire and “turned it into a Canadian retail powerhouse.” Taylor, Warrington says, was chosen by the judges for making Four Seasons into the “global standard” for luxury hotels, through her smart marketing. Kazmer was chosen for his “in the trenches” teaching style that jump-started many careers in marketing.
“Once again Canadian marketing professionals have nominated candidates … who have made significant contributions to the industry,” Warrington also said in a release. “In turn, this year’s talented panel of judges, through vigorous debate, have selected three inductees who are leaders in their sectors and worthy of a place alongside their previously recognized colleagues.”
Previous inductees in the builder and mentor categories include McDonald’s Canada founder George Cohon and Queen’s University marketing professor Ken Wong. The MHOL gala will take place on Jan. 27, 2009. Early-bird tickets are $425.
