Jim Mintz

Jim Mintz was the co-founder and Managing Partner of the Centre of Excellence for Public Sector Marketing (CEPSM) and a pioneer in social marketing and behaviour change. Over a career spanning decades, he worked with numerous public sector and non-profit clients across Canada and internationally, helping organizations build their capacity in strategic marketing, communications, branding, and partnership development.

Jim combined a strong academic presence with real-world leadership. He served as Program Director of the Professional Certificate in Public Sector and Non-Profit Marketing at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business and taught in both undergraduate and graduate programs in his specialty areas of marketing communications and public/non-profit marketing. He also lectured at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health and served as Adjunct Professor of Marketing at the University of Ottawa, where he taught promotional management and consumer behaviour at the MBA and undergraduate levels. His academic influence extended further through his role on the External Advisory Council for the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health, and he served on the Treasury Board Secretariat Committee that helped develop the Federal Government Communications Policy. In recognition of his leadership, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Public Health Association (2015–2017). Jim was also a founding member of the International Social Marketing Association and a board member of the newly created Social Marketing Association of North America (SMANA), advancing the professional practice of social marketing globally.

Earlier in his career, Jim was Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Health Canada, where he oversaw major national health campaigns, strategic alliances, publishing, exhibits, audiovisual services, and online engagement for both mainstream and Indigenous audiences. He led the development of the Canadian Health Network and created one of the first bilingual e-learning social marketing tools. Under his leadership, Health Canada’s marketing team was awarded the American Marketing Association’s “Marketer of the Year Award.” Jim also contributed extensively to the American Marketing Association at the international level, serving on its Professional Chapters Council, on the editorial board of Marketing News, and as Co-Chair of “AMA Marketing Week.”

Jim’s expertise spanned multiple sectors and regions. He provided strategic advice and training in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and Africa, with a focus on government marketing and communications in areas such as health, environment, energy conservation, and public safety. He also played a leading role in advancing government and non-profit branding, partnership development, and revenue generation strategies. His thought leadership was captured in several widely used guides and workbooks, including Guide to Branding in the Public and Not-For-Profit Sectors, Introduction to Branding for Non-Profits and Public-Sector Organizations, Social Marketing Planning to Change Attitudes and Behaviours, and Marketing 101 for Marketers and Non-Marketers.

Before joining the federal government, Jim worked in the private sector and crown corporations, holding marketing roles with Eaton’s in Montreal and Canada Post Corporation, as well as with a major advertising agency. Fluent in both English and French, he was known not only for his professional expertise but also for his mentorship, generosity, and tireless advocacy for advancing public sector marketing as a discipline.

On April 14, 2019, we lost Jim to an untimely passing. He was honoured soon after at the World Social Marketing Conference in Edinburgh, where colleagues from around the globe paid tribute to his contributions to the field. To continue his legacy, the Social Marketing Association of North America (SMANA), in consultation with his family and business partners, established a scholarship in his name. You can learn more and make a donation to the fund here.