Retail Council of Canada Inducts John Williams and John Torella into Canadian Retail Hall of Fame

TORONTO, May 23, 2013 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is pleased to announce that John Williams, founder and senior partner at the J.C. Williams Group, and John Torella, senior partner at the J.C. Williams Group will be inducted into the Canadian Retail Hall of Fame at the Excellence in Retailing Awards (ERA) dinner on Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

John Williams founded the J.C. Williams Group over forty years ago following a career in retail starting as a bag-boy at Safeway in Vancouver and ending up along the way at the T. Eaton Co. John has spent a lifetime in stores, catalogue and online retail and his love affair with the industry has never wavered.

John Torella began his retail career with the T. Eaton Co., followed by many years working with prominent advertising firms such as Vickers & Benson Advertising Limited and Grey Group Advertising.  In 1993, John joined J.C. Williams Group as a partner and senior consultant in the areas of strategic planning, branding, marketing, and communications.

"Their incredible dedication and commitment to the retail sector and to the promotion of retail as career in this country are without bounds," noted Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO of Retail Council of Canada. "Without any strings attached, these exceptionally dedicated partners have always been keen to offer assistance, to volunteer their time and to share their knowledge and expertise in support of the advancement of retail and retail as a career."

John Williams and John Torella are successful authors, speakers, thought leaders and consultants.  They serve clients in over 21 countries and now have offices in Chicago - Ann Arbor, Michigan - Saint Petersburg, Russia, the Middle East, Iran and South Asia.  Yet as the business continues to grow so does their commitment to retail and to giving back to the sector they call home.

The Canadian Retail Hall of Fame Award, sponsored by MasterCard International, is presented to executives who have demonstrated leadership in advancing and promoting the industry and retail as a career and who are strong advocates of retail education and training.  They are seen as inspirational leaders, promoting and encouraging young people to pursue careers in retail, motivating current employees to acquire more skills to advance in retail, supporting the development of retail courses in schools, and lending support to organizations that promote retail as a career and retail education.

This award will be presented to John Williams and John Torella on behalf of the retail industry at the Excellence in Retailing Awards dinner on Tuesday, June 4, 2013. The dinner, part of STORE 2013 - Canada's Retail Conference takes place at the Toronto Congress Centre from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

For more information about STORE 2013, visit www.storeconference.ca.

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail Council of Canada is the Voice of Retail in Canada. Founded in 1963, RCC is a not-for-profit, industry-funded association representing more than 45,000 store fronts of all retail formats across Canada, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent stores, and online merchants. We speak for an industry that touches the daily lives of Canadians in every corner of the country — by providing jobs, career opportunities, and by investing in communities.

Media are invited to attend STORE 2013.

SOURCE: Retail Council of Canada

Devon Pool
Retail Council of Canada
416-467-3759