African Marketing Confederation co-founders awarded CIM Honorary Fellowship

The AMC founders were presented with their Honorary Fellowships on the final night of the 2025 Conference held in Accra, Ghana recently. 

Making the presentations were James Sutton, Strategy and Commercial Director at the CIM, and Maggie Jones, Director of Qualifications and Partnerships at the CIM. 

Addressing the packed venue where delegates had assembled for the traditional end-of-conference AMC Awards evening, Sutton said the Chartered Institute of Marketing has been in existence since 1911 and the most prestigious honour that it can bestow is Honorary Fellowship. 

Past recipients, he said, include a king, 23 Knights of the Realm, nine professors, six doctors, one earl and two baronesses. 

LinkedIn post following the Uganda conference 

Sutton then read out a LinkedIn post he wrote shortly after attending his first AMC Conference in Uganda in 2023 (he subsequently attended the 2024 and 2025 conferences as well). 

“Sometimes things happen to you in life that re-awaken you, drive the imagination and open your eyes in a way you do not expect. The more I reflect on the week when I was invited to the second AMC Conference in Uganda, the more I realise how important it was and how impactful it was. 

“It was not just any conference; there was the coming together of African nations under one roof, with the common cause of unlocking the potential of the continent and the talent within. 

“The knowledge exchanged, expertise, unity and kindness of all the people I met is something I will never forget. AMC are clearly doing something quite remarkable in bringing together nations to focus on the power of marketing for good.” 

Best marketing conference in the world 

Sutton went on to tell the assembled delegates he believes the annual AMC Conference to be the “best, greatest, marketing conference in the world” and this should be recognised. “The only thing we can do within our CIM toolbox is to award Honorary Fellowship. It is awarded to people who have made a profound impact on the marketing profession,” he said. 

Inviting Tattersall and McIntee-Carlisle to the stage to receive their Honorary Fellowships, he said the work the AMC does in bringing together so many countries – not just at the conference, but in everything else it does outside of the conference – is “quite phenomenal”. 

Building marketing on the African continent 

Accepting her award, McIntee-Carlisle said: “I am completely honoured and a little overwhelmed. Thank you to the CIM in the UK for this huge award. It just makes me feel that everything I’ve worked towards to build marketing on the African continent and internationally is worthwhile. I’m speechless. Thank you so much!” 

Commented Tattersall: “Thank you very much. It’s a fantastic reward for hard work. I would like to also congratulate everybody that has worked with us as the AMC … All the member organisations, [AMC Secretary General] David Balikuddembe, the CEOs of all the professional bodies … everybody that has walked the journey with us. Thank you.” 

The Chartered Institute of Marketing and African Marketing Confederation announced a partnership in February 2025.