Sandy Muir hasn’t seen it, but his wife has compiled a list of household tasks she’s keen for him to tackle. She’ll get her wish this summer.
Muir is retiring from the Canadian newspaper industry after a 35-year career that featured stops at several of the major ownership groups, including Torstar, Southam (now part of Canwest) and Sun Media.
“I want to get out when I’m healthy, and I am healthy,” says Muir, 58, currently vice-president of advertising for the Toronto Sun and 24 hours Toronto. He is assisting in the search for his successor, and expects to step down within the next six to eight weeks.
Muir’s newspaper career began in the Toronto Star’s circulation department in 1973, and has included stops at several major publications. He joined the Sun in 2004 after a seven-year stint with The Globe and Mail that encompassed the national daily’s bitter war with the upstart National Post.
Muir, who has two university-age children, says his retirement plans include some pro bono work with a youth web venture, plus some other charity work. He also plans to work on his golf game, and notes that he has “thousands of books at home I haven’t read.”
“Will I work again? I don’t think so,” he says.
Muir had also been serving as chair of the Newspaper Audience Databank (NADbank). At the annual general meeting last week, he was replaced by Kevin Bent, president and publisher of Canwest’s Pacific Newspaper Group. ZenithOptimedia president and CEO Sunni Boot was appointed vice-chair, while GroupM Canada president and CEO David Campbell remains as treasurer.
Returning board members include:
•Tom Batho, director of media, marketing and communications for Rogers Communications
•Bruce Claassen, chair of Aegis Media Canada
•Jean Durocher, VP, sales and marketing for La Presse
•Veronica Engelberts, president of Vector Media
•Sandy MacLeod, VP consumer marketing for the Toronto Star
•Bill McDonald, group publisher of Metro English Canada
•Shannon McPeak, VP, corporate ad sales for Sun Media Corp.
•Andrew Saunders, VP, advertising sales for The Globe and Mail
•John Tarantino, VP media director, Cossette Communication Marketing (Montreal)
•Alain Tardy, VP, Marketel
Newly elected board members are:
•Don Brander, publisher and general manager of The Guardian (Charlottetown)
•Jennifer Holgate, VP interactive for Canwest
•Peter Vaz, VP, director of digital communications for M2 Universal Digital
•Kin-Man Lee, publisher of the Toronto Sun and 24 hours
NADbank has also appointed Ad Express Canada CEO Mary Koven chair of its membership services committee. She replaces Carey Lewis, VP, managing director of BBDO-Automotive. Chris Herlihey, VP of research for IPG Media, remains as chair of the technical committee.
