The Marketing Hall of Legends welcomed 10 industry veterans to its illustrious rankings this year. With more than a century of industry experience between them, Marketing stole a few moments with each one, asking them to look back on their careers and examine what brought them success.
Jack Bensimon
Jack Bensimon – Enabler
If you know the Molson “Joe Canadian” rant (and who doesn’t), you know Jack Bensimon’s work. Co-founder of Bensimon Byrne, Bensimon can proudly say he was one of the creators of a lasting meme in Canadian culture. He has nearly three decades of experience and has worked with Eaton’s, Loblaw, Hyundai and Scotiabank.
Who was the most important person you’ve ever met in business and why?
Peter Byrne. I was 29 when we started Bensimon Byrne. Being 10 years older, Peter was as much a mentor as a partner. He taught me critical lessons about people, relationships and corporate values.
What did you learn as a child that contributed to your career success?
At 14, I had a summer job as a Dickie Dee ice cream vendor. Being new, I got stuck with the area around the hospital. I looked up the nursing schedules and rode to the entrance of each ward for shift change. That approach to problem-solving turned out to be the essence of strategic planning.
What’s the biggest gamble you’ve made in your career?
We sold Bensimon Byrne to a global multinational in 1997. Buying it back in 2006 was a classic “bet the farm” gamble. But if you’re going to gamble, betting on yourself is the only way to do it.
Rick Padulo – Enabler
At the eponymous award-winning agency he founded, Rick Padulo has been behind many of the country’s most enduring ad campaigns, including “Blacks Is Photography” and “Zellers—Because the Lowest Price is the Law.” He has crafted campaigns for leading companies in almost every retail category in North America and is the author of I Can Get It For You Retail: Down and Dirty Tales From a Canadian Ad Man.
Rick Padulo
Who was the most important person you’ve ever met in business and why?
Morris Saffer, who I believe is the father of retail advertising. He was my boss, my mentor, my instigator and my friend. He helped shape the face of retail advertising throughout the world.
What’s the biggest gamble you’ve made in your career?
The same as most entrepreneurs, I guess—starting my own business. The day I started Padulo, my father Frank called me and asked me how I liked my first day of unemployment. The realization that from that moment I had to kill what I ate scared the crap out of me, but it did breed commitment.
The guilty pleasure that makes me a better businessperson is…
I’m Italian and I like to entertain, drink wine and eat well. You learn a lot about how people think in a casual environment even if you are not talking business.
Photography: Mike Ford
This series of Q&As – which also includes Hugh Dow, president of M2 Universal; Bonnie Brooks of Hudson’s Bay Company and many others – originally appeared in the March issue of Marketing. Subscribe today, and be sure to check out the issue on your iPad.
