PPB September 2021

Continued on page 33 Michael Williams Age 34 Director of National Accounts AZX Sport and Simplified Sourcing Toronto, Ontario M ichael Williams’ planned career in accounting took an unexpected but welcomed turn. After graduating from McMaster University in 2010 with a business degree in marketing and accounting, he took an accounting job but quickly realized that line of work was not for him. Williams began searching for a position related to marketing and promotions and responded to a job posting for a customer service position at supplier AZX. This year he celebrates his 10th year with the company. One of Williams’ clients and nominators, Lorie Stanley, account executive at Ad Clarity powered by HALO, explains why he’s a Rising Star: he consistently exceeds expectations. “He is always learning, growing and making himself and his company better,” she says. “He goes above and beyond and has saved me on many occasions. He rises to the top and solves problems, provides terrific customer service and helps me growmy business.” Williams gives the same care and attention to suppliers. Nominator Nikki Sgro, business development rep at supplier Debco, says Williams has not only grown his own sales territory exponentially but has helped his colleagues to grow theirs through his guidance and hands-on approach. “He has worked diligently to push his company and fellow colleagues through the COVID crisis and keep not only their sales, but their attitudes, positive,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if you are a direct competitor, he will be right there to help you or provide guidance when you are in need. He is the most genuine and kind-hearted person. For him, it’s not about going the extra mile, it’s about making others genuinely happy. He isn’t content until everyone around him is happy and comfortable.” Biggest challenge in the past year: As an extrovert who thrives off the energy of others, the multiple lockdowns throughout this past year have made it difficult to stay energized. I live by the motto “work hard, play hard,” and this pandemic tipped the scale with everything centered around work. With traveling and social gatherings no longer an option, I needed to find a way to fill the void. I created and hosted a nightly game show via Instagram called Quarantime . The show gave me the ability to interact with friends and provide others a platform to have fun and stay positive during these unprecedented times. Quarantime also allowed me the opportunity to support local businesses and give back to my community through prizes and fundraisers. We raised $3,000 and donated 5,000 masks to a local hospital, and together we created an impact of more than $12,000 to benefit SickKids Foundation. The show not only gave me a sense of purpose, but also helped to keep me busy. Proudest career accomplishment: Since I joined the sales team in 2015, I envisioned developing a new position targeting the largest distributors and buying groups in the industry. Since this would be a newly curated position, I had to justify its creation. During the lead- up, I spent my time researching, building foundational relationships, finding windows of opportunity to expand sales and strategizing in building long-lasting partnerships. In 2020, my idea came to fruition and I was named AZX’s director of national accounts. Most optimistic about for the industry’s future: I am optimistic to see the continued recovery of the industry and return of in-person events. Although it’s been a challenging year, I believe the pandemic has helped to revive the creativity of the industry. It cultivated new ideas centralized around creating experiences in new environments, reengineered the importance of quality and value, and taught us Rising Stars | FEATURE | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 27