GroupM Canada CEO Kevin Johnson Takes Home Media Leader of the Year at Annual Media Innovation Awards

Toronto, CA – Brunico Communications awarded GroupM Canada Chief Executive Officer Kevin Johnson 2023 Media Leader of the Year as a part of the annual Media Innovation Awards on November 29th in Toronto.

Honored for setting a high bar for performance and achievement, Johnson received the accolade after a year of steadfast leadership and commitment to GroupM clients, employees, and partners.

The Globe and Mail’s Penny Hicks presented the award noting Johnson’s deep commitment to investment in responsible journalism and implementing tangible diversity, equity, and inclusion practices across the business. Hicks said “Kevin is intimately involved with brokering agreements with Canadian publishers to ensure that GroupM commits some of its ad-buyer power to local news outlets [ … ] He has also led initiatives that support DEI asking clients to pledge 5% of their total annual media budgets to companies who own/buy/serve diverse audiences.”

In his acceptance speech, Johnson shared gratitude for being in the position to receive the award and pointed toward GroupM’s Launch Pad program (GroupM’s media immersion program that trains and then employs individuals who would not otherwise have access to the industry) as the legacy he hopes to leave as a leader in creating the next generation of industry talent that more accurately reflect the diversity of the Canadian population.

GroupM Canada saw continued growth and expansion in the market this year with the newly established GroupM Government Practice specializing in delivering excellence for public sector clients, the launch of GroupM Sports & Live powering multi-platform sports marketing programs, their Data & tech Google consultancy, Acceleration and extension of the global GroupM Motion Entertainment content creation and distribution business into the Canadian market.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, Johnson is a dedicated mentor and community member, serving as an active Board member for organizations including Ad Standards, Numeris, and Trillium Health Partners, among others.