Retail Council of Canada Inducts Alasdair McKichan into Canadian Retail Hall of Fame

TORONTO, May 21, 2013 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada is pleased to announce that Mr. Alasdair McKichan, former President & CEO of Retail Council of Canada, will be inducted into the Canadian Retail Hall of Fame at the Excellence in Retail Awards (ERA) dinner on Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

A native of Scotland, Alasdair immigrated to Canada in 1957 and practised law in Winnipeg, Manitoba before moving to Toronto.  He joined Retail Council of Canada (RCC) as its first Chief Executive Officer in 1963 and served in that capacity from 1963 to 1971 and from 1975 to his retirement in late 1994.

"It is fitting that on its 50^th anniversary, RCC recognizes Alasdair's contribution to the industry and his immeasurable role in elevating retail's status as a key contributor to job growth and economic development," noted Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO of Retail Council of Canada.

The Hall of Fame award 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.

A member of the Order of Canada in 1998, Alasdair spearheaded the development of standards for retailers, and played a major role in enhancing the professionalism of business association executives. During the course of his career, various levels of government sought his advice on a broad range of issues, such as the Canada-U.S. GATT and NAFTA Agreements. In addition, a wide variety of charitable, cultural and health organizations, like The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Canadian Association for Community Living, have benefited from his commitment.

This award will be presented to Mr. McKichan 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