The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) is awarding Michael Downey with its prestigious Gold Medal in recognition of his contributions to the Canadian marketing sector.

Downey, currently the CEO of Tennis Canada, announced his intentions to retire in February and will do so on Dec. 31. He has held the role for Tennis Canada for the past 15 years, a tenure during which the country’s prominence in the sport has risen, particularly due to investments he oversaw from the organization into regional Under-14 programs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, as well as the National Tennis Centre in Montreal.

Successful tennis stars such as Bianca Andreescu, Milos Raonic, Eugenie Bouchard and Félix Auger-Aliassime trained at the Tennis Centre prior to their professional careers.

But Downey’s career spans farther back than that. He has held key marketing roles at Labatt and Molson, and with the former SkyDome as part of the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. His fingerprints are on Molson Canadian’s iconic “I Am Canadian” campaign and marketing efforts throughout the Raptors’ inaugural years.

With Tennis Canada, he navigated the pandemic years and oversaw the successful negotiation of ten- and seven-year partnerships with National Bank and Rogers, respectively, to secure the future of the sport in the country.

“The impact of Michael’s career in marketing and in the advancement of Canadian tennis on the world stage are legacies that will endure the test of time,” says Ron Lund, president and CEO of the ACA.

For his part, Downey calls the award “a sincere honour,” attributing it to “the company one keeps.”

“I was privileged to have worked for and with a plethora of inspiring and exceptionally talented people over the last four decades,” he adds.

Downey will receive the Gold Medal at the Strategy Awards on Oct. 3, at Toronto’s Arcadian Court.

Featured image courtesy Michael Chisholm/Tennis Canada.