Retail Council of Canada Names Michael Brownstein Recipient of the Excellence in Retailing Lifetime Achievement Award Français
CEO of Browns Shoes being honoured for over five decades of visionary leadership, industry excellence, and enduring philanthropic impact
TORONTO, March 25, 2026 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) today announced that Michael Brownstein, CEO of Browns Shoes will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Excellence in Retailing Awards. This honour is presented to a distinguished industry leader whose business success and community leadership have had an enduring impact on the retail industry.
Brownstein has spent more than five decades building one of Canada's most respected retail enterprises. After graduating from McGill University, he joined Browns in 1973, taking the helm as President in 1998. Over the next 25 years, he transformed a beloved Montreal institution into a national powerhouse, expanding the Browns banner to over 70 locations across Canada and cementing the brand's status as North America's largest independent footwear retailer. He also launched a successful sister chain, B2, which has grown to nine locations nationwide.
Under his leadership, Browns became --and remains-- a destination retailer known for outstanding customer service, innovative store design, and a product selection that consistently reflects the pulse of global footwear trends. Brownstein's ability to cultivate and sustain partnerships with premier international brands, speaks to the reputation and integrity he has built in the industry over decades.
"Michael Brownstein represents exactly what this award was created to honour," said Kim Furlong, President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada. "His career spans more than five decades of retail excellence--built not just on commercial success, but on the values of integrity, mentorship, and genuine commitment to community."
Brownstein's contributions to the footwear industry are far-reaching. In 1998, he became the first person outside of Italy to receive the global footwear industry's highest honour, the prestigious MICAM Award. He is equally committed to supporting the next generation of retail and business leaders, regularly sharing his experience and insights with students at the McGill Desautels Faculty of Management.
The Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala will cap off the first day of RCCSTORE26, Canada's premier retail conference. Taking place June 2-3, 2026, RCCSTORE26 will feature 75+ expert speakers and draw retail leaders from across North America and beyond.
Media are invited to attend this prestigious event celebrating Michael Brownstein and other esteemed award recipients.
About the Excellence in Retailing Awards
The Excellence in Retailing Awards are presented annually by Retail Council of Canada to honour outstanding performance and innovation across the Canadian retail industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a senior executive with a minimum of 25 consecutive years of retail service who has demonstrated outstanding business success and community service. Past Lifetime Achievement recipients include François Roberge of la Vie en Rose, Walter Lamothe of Bentley, and Roots co-founders Michael Budman and Don Green. For more information, visit retailawards.ca.
About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada's largest private-sector employer with over 2.3 million Canadians working in our industry. This sector is a major economic contributor, generating more than $101 billion annually in wages and employee benefits. In 2025, core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) exceeded $532 billion. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members account for more than two thirds of these core retail sales and 95 per cent of the grocery market. Our membership extends across the country, embracing over 65,000 storefronts in diverse formats such as department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants, and quick service restaurants. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, RCC, a not-for-profit, industry-funded association, proudly represents retail businesses of all sizes, from small independents to large national chains, in communities nationwide. retailcouncil.org.
SOURCE Retail Council of Canada
Santo Ligotti, VP Marketing & Membership, (416) 274-2956, [email protected]
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