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Overview of the full room at the C-Suite Marketing Summit.

Toronto C-Suite Marketing Summit: a full house for a bold first edition

On May 28, something new took root at Le Germain Hotel in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Square: the very first C-Suite Marketing Summit.

Organized by m&h and DAC, in collaboration with the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA), the event brought together senior marketing executives from across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. This wasn’t just another industry meet-up; it was a real conversation between CMOs and CEOs to explore strategy, innovation and leadership in Canada, with the ultimate goal of redefining marketing’s role in driving business success.

Sold out, for good reason

The half-day summit sold out quickly, clear proof that this type of focused, executive-level conversation has its rightful place in today’s marketing landscape. More than 85 marketing leaders were in attendance, representing 55 brands across a wide spectrum of industries: retail, consumer goods, financial services, food and beverage, telecommunications, automotive and many more.

Leaders talking to leaders

The panels featured seasoned executives who don’t just talk about strategy—they execute it daily. The summit kicked off with a panel on the power of the CEO–CMO partnership in volatile times, moderated by Diane J. Brisebois (Retail Council of Canada). The discussion featured Vanda Provato (LCBO), Anna Martini (Psycho Bunny), David Lui (KIT+ACAE) and Simone Lumsden (Canadian Tire Corporation).

Here’s what stood out from the conversation

Data and AI are extremely powerful tools to harness better customer insights for smart decisions, but human insights are equally important to build understanding. The winning formula is tech-enhanced, customer-first storytelling grounded in both insights and empathy.

The best marketing outcomes now come from cross-functional alignment. CMOs and CEOs may challenge each other, but they’re in sync on what matters most: the customer.

A personal favourite soundbite: “Cirque du Soleil on cocaine.” —Diane J. Brisebois on today’s macro environment.

Group photo of the full panel, featuring Diane J. Brisebois, Vanda Provato, Anna Martini, David Lui, and Simone Lumsden.

Next came the keynote from McKinsey & Company partners Eric Falardeau and Oren Eizenman, titled “The evolving role of the CMO.” Their talk unpacked how 50% of CMOs see marketing priorities, at a time when new tech, tighter resources and shifting structures are reshaping the role itself.

Here are some key takeaways from the session:

Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, and so has the role of the CMO, but one thing remains constant: the CMO is the voice of the customer at the leadership table.

There’s often a disconnect between how CMOs and CEOs define marketing’s role and measure its impact, but alignment across the C-suite is critical to turning strategy into results.

Photo of the McKinsey presentation at the C-Suite Marketing Summit with two speakers, Eric Falardeau and Oren Eizenman, addressing the audience.

To close the program, Susan Krashinsky Robertson (The Globe and Mail) led a second panel focused on brand building and reinvention in a disrupted world. Joining were Christina Litz (Northern Super League), Jessica Gale (Harry Rosen) and Nuno Bamberg (Sleep Country).

Here are some of the key insights shared:

A healthy marketing mix balances brand and performance. But a brand isn’t built overnight; it’s the marketer’s job to keep long-term value on the table, even when short-term performance dominates the conversation.

Alignment across the C-suite includes CFOs; it’s important to include them in marketing conversations to ensure expectations are managed.

Photo of Nuno Bamberg, Christina Litz, and Jessica Gale seated on stage at the C-Suite Marketing Summit, engaged in discussion.

With purpose

All ticket proceeds were donated to the National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS), supporting professionals in Canada’s advertising and media industries.

Until next time

If you missed it, stay tuned for the next edition. And if you were there, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. And to all attendees, thanks for making this first C-Suite Marketing Summit everything we hoped for and more. We’ll see you at the next one.

Photo of Christian Quenneville addressing the audience.
On-stage panel featuring Diane J. Brisebois, Vanda Provato, Anna Martini, David Lui, and Simone Lumsden.
Photo of Mario Lemieux addressing the audience.
Photo of the organizers of the the C-Suite Marketing Summit: Christian Quenneville (m&h) and Mario Lemieux (DAC) with Andrea Hunt (ACA), Oren Eizenman (McKinsey & Company), and Eric Falardeau (McKinsey & Company).
Portrait of Nuno Bamberg speaking to the audience.
Group photo of the full panel at C-Suite Marketing Summit, featuring Susan Krashinsky Robertson, Christina Litz, Jessica Gale, and Nuno Bamberg, with Christian Quenneville from m&h and Mario Lemieux from DAC.
Andrea Hunt speaking at the C-Suite Marketing Summit.
On-stage panel featuring Susan Krashinsky Robertson, Christina Litz, Jessica Gale, and Nuno Bamberg.

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