The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) is delighted to announce that Margaret Bryant, former Sales Director at Orca Book Publishers, is the recipient of the 2025 President’s Award. ACP is also pleased to report that Kieran Leblanc, former Executive Director of the Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA), has been presented with an honorary lifetime membership in the association. This year’s awards were presented in conjunction with ACP’s 2025 Annual General Meeting, which was held online via Zoom from June 16–18, 2025.
Margaret Bryant has had a distinguished and wide-ranging career in Canadian publishing. She began as a field trade representative for John Wiley & Sons covering Eastern Canada, and went on to hold sales and marketing leadership roles at Stoddart Publishing, the Literary Press Group of Canada, Chapters/Indigo, Dundurn Press, and Firefly Books, where her promotions won two Libris Awards. In 2018 she joined Orca Book Publishers as Sales Director, during which she played a central role in driving growth, contributing to long-term strategic planning, and, most of all, fostering a positive and collaborative company culture. Beyond her own company, Margaret contributed meaningfully to the ACP community by leading professional development sessions and serving as a mentor to emerging industry professionals. While her career has ended sooner than Margaret and all of us have wanted, her generosity and wisdom will have a lasting impact on the Canadian publishing community.
Kieran Leblanc served as Executive Director of the Book Publishers Association of Alberta for more than 16 years, leading initiatives that shaped the province’s publishing landscape. Her work spanned advocacy, professional development, industry research and development, collective marketing, and the advancement of accessible publishing. She was a founding member of the Alberta Partners for Arts and Culture and has served on the boards of eBOUND Canada, the Canadian Copyright Institute, and several other arts and cultural organizations. Her tireless efforts have made a lasting impact not only in Alberta, but across the national publishing ecosystem.
“The contributions of both Margaret and Kieran have been felt far and wide within our community,” said Alana Wilcox, President of ACP. “Margaret brought heart, humour, and excellence to every role she held, and her mentorship shaped the careers of many. Kieran’s visionary leadership and commitment to the advancement of regional publishing has helped elevate Alberta’s publishers on the national stage. We’re honoured to celebrate them both.”
The President’s Award is awarded to ACP members who have made a significant contribution to the Canadian publishing industry and to ACP. Honorary lifetime membership in ACP is presented to an individual or group who is not a member of ACP, but has made a significant contribution to the association and to the Canadian publishing industry.
For more information, contact:
Jack Illingworth, Executive Director
Association of Canadian Publishers
jack_illingworth@canbook.org