Toronto, May 5, 2014: The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) announced today that Bill Moir, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons, is the recipient of the ACA Gold Medal Award for 2014. First presented in 1941, the award is given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of marketing communications in Canada.

Moir, who has seen the growth of the company through from 500 stores to nearly 4,500 in his 24 year tenure, will receive the ACA Gold Medal Award at this year’s Marketing Awards gala, to be held on May 29 at The Carlu in Toronto.

“Peter Drucker, the father of business consulting, is reported to have stated: ‘Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two–and only two–basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs.’ Tim Hortons, under Bill’s stewardship, has proven this dictum as true and this is why he is so deserving of this award,” said Ron Lund, President and CEO of the ACA.

“I am delighted to be recognized by the ACA with this prestigious award,” said Bill Moir, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Tim Hortons. “I am honoured to have led the marketing direction of one of Canada’s most beloved brands, and I could not be more proud of the incredible work that my team has done.”

Moir joined Tim Hortons in 1990 as Vice President of Marketing, and was promoted to Executive Vice President of Marketing in 1997. In 2008, Moir assumed his current position and became President of the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation.

Prior to working at the now-iconic Canadian company, Moir held positions at K-Tel, Shell Oil and Labatt Breweries. In addition to his role at Tim Hortons, Mr. Moir is a past Director and past Chairman of the Coffee Association of Canada.

Moir was named one of Advertising Age’s ‘Global Marketers of the Year’ in 2005. In 2013 Tim Hortons was named as one of the “100 Most Loved Companies” in the world by APCO Insight, a global opinion research consultancy. The company ranked second of all global quick service restaurants.

This year marks Tim Hortons 50th anniversary, celebrating ‘50 years fresh’. Moir has been around for nearly half that time. He is respected as a pivotal figure in building one of the nations most beloved and most iconic brands, taking its place in the popular ‘moose, mountains and Mounties’ mindset of coffee-loving Canadians everywhere.

Moir will be retiring from his position as Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at the end of August of this year, staying on as President of the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation until the end of 2015.

About the ACA Gold Medal Award

The ACA Gold Medal Award is:

  • Open to all individuals in activities that have an impact on marketing communications in Canada (client marketers, agencies, media, researchers, academics, associations, etc.)
  • Awarded for a single achievement, or for accomplishments over time
  • Awarded to a candidate whose contribution represents a measurable, distinctive advancement in the practice of marketing communications in Canada

Since its inception, the ACA Gold Medal Award has been presented to a distinguished vanguard of industry leaders and visionaries. View the full list of past honorees.