By: Tamara Abu Ali
Who is CMAC?
The Concordia Marketing Aid Clinic, also known as CMAC, is a student-run university initiative that aims to provide creative assistance to non-profit companies and small businesses, such as free marketing consultation.
In addition, CMAC hosts annual networking events to raise awareness in the student community about the different career paths available in the market, thus inspiring students in their possible future endeavors.
CMAC’s Annual Event
On November 7th, CMAC held their first event: "Glimpse the Future: Explore Your Career Options." The event consisted of three guest speakers, each with unique career paths in the marketing industry, such as fundraising, event marketing, and public relations.
Meet the Panel
The first speaker was Mr. Shaun Lynch, who built his career in the fundraising industry. He raised over $77 million for Concordia University, thus paving his way to becoming a Marketing professor at the John Molson School of Business. According to Mr. Lynch, the secret to becoming a successful fundraiser is one's ability to communicate effectively through writing and believing in the cause you are raising money towards while also building meaningful connections in your niche.
Moreover, the inspiring Mrs. Danielle Delaney, who co-founded DDMG communications, was the second speaker on the panel. Mrs. Delaney started her career in the Canadian consulate of the United States in Boston. Her work mainly revolved around advising many American companies to move to Canada, specifically to Quebec. Subsequently, Mrs. Delaney was determined to establish her own public relations and communications business, mainly in advertising. She has a successful company with over 14 years in the market and a clientele composed of industry leaders in the communications industry.
Lastly, we were fortunate enough to hear from the third speaker, Mrs. Erika Beck, who began her career after graduating with a degree in Marketing and Finance from McGill University. Mrs. Beck merged her knowledge in technical data and marketing, allowing her to take on the Director of Business Intelligence and Patient Experience role at McKesson, managing the loyalty activities of their affiliated retail banners across Canada. Before that, in 2009, she joined LoyaltyOne, where she oversaw the AIR MILES partner connections for Jean Coutu and Sobeys. Erika began her career working for Bell, Canada Post, and the Royal Canadian Mint at Cossette, one of Canada's top advertising firms.
The event was an incredibly enlightening experience. We gathered that there is much more to marketing-related fields than stereotypical roles such as social media management and marketing coordination.
As a Concordia business student, the stories shared by the panel taught me many things but most importantly, there are no limits to your goals in the business world. We also learned that sometimes rejection in a specific area could direct you to a career path that you once never considered.
I encourage students to keep up with events held by the university clubs because of the invaluable advice and information they would be getting in return.
