Meet the 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees

Our search for the 2021 Canadian Marketing, Advertising, Communication and PR Hall of Fame inductees is complete.

The individuals on our final list have played a meaningful role in making Canadian contributions not only stand out but stand up in times of crisis.

2020 was a difficult year for our industry. Tens of thousands of businesses across the country were forced to shut their doors, cancel their events, and take on massive losses.

Yet, 2020 was also the year for community, collaboration, and action. These inducted leaders, alongside their teams, showed the world what it means to show up and make change. Their work took diversity and inclusion to the centre stage. They bolstered Canadian businesses when they needed it most. They built resources, took chances, and made innovative changes to the marketing landscape as a whole.

Beyond that, their career-long breakthroughs have paved the way for the industry we know today. It is through their guidance that we continue to grow our space.

We are pleased to announce the following Hall of Fame inductees:

• Joshua Richards, Director of Creative Technology | 404 at john st., for his efforts in co-founding “People of Colour in Advertising and Marketing”
• Julian Franklin, President of Franklin Management Group | 404, for his role as a founding member of “People of Colour in Advertising and Marketing”
• Cybele Negris, President, CEO & Founder of Webnames.ca | 404, for her years of investment and service in the web industry.
• Nancy Marcus, Corporate Vice President of Marketing at Kruger Products | 404, for her years of contributions and accomplishments in the CPG space.
• Frank Palmer, Chairman of Palmer Stamnes DDB and Elevator | 404, for his years of leadership and contributions to the industry.
• Tony Chapman, Host of Chatter that Matters | 404, for his Small Business Matters series as part of his Chatter That Matters podcast.
• Mitch Joel, Founder of Six Pixels Group | 404, for his contributions to the marketing communications industry via his bestselling books, insightful blog and podcast.
• Ron Tite, Founder of Church + State | 404, for his inspirational books and motivational talks.
• Taya Hawes-Puiu, Principal & CEO at Partners & Hawes | 404, for her work and investment with young marketing talent entering the industry.
• Scott Knox, President & CEO, Institute of Communication Agencies | 404, for his work in helping and supporting the marketing communications industry.
• Kevin Johnson, MediaCom Canada | 404, for his leadership not only at the agency but also throughout the media industry as a whole.
• Wes Hall, Executive Chairman at the KSS Group of Companies | 404, for his contributions as a leader in the business and communications space
• Ashley Freeborn, Founder and CEO of Smash + Tess | 404, for growing the brand via partnerships with celebrities and influencers during a tumultuous time for the clothing retail sector.
• Karm Sumal, Co-founder and CEO of Daily Hive | 404, for being a leader in the media space and one who has scaled his business amidst a difficult era for media.
• Ryan Reynolds, Actor, Film Producer, and Entrepreneur | 404, for his role in helping brands generate awareness and buzz through their marketing efforts during a difficult first year of the pandemic.
• Shahrzad Rafati, Founder & CEO at BroadbandTV Corp | 404, for her success both in and out of the content space.
• John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President at RBC | 404, for regularly sharing economic insights about how best to navigate the pandemic via social media
• Scott & Alison Stratten, Creators, Speakers, Authors | 404, for their marketing consulting efforts and the knowledge they provide to their clients and the general public in various forms.

Thank you to our entire awards team, hall of fame list, and to SocialAtHome.ca for making this event possible.

Don’t forget to check out the winners of our 2020 #Hashtag Awards and enter next year to see your favourite marketing, communications, and PR heroes on this list.

Written by Hannah Macready