Josy Paul, Jane Lin-Baden, Seiya Matsumiya and Naoki Tanaka set to represent Asia as Cannes Lions Jury Presidents for 2025
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has opened for Awards submissions for its 72nd edition, alongside announcing the names of the global experts confirmed to lead the 2025 Juries. Convening in Cannes in June, the Jury Presidents will help benchmark excellence across the world’s very best creative and effective work. Representing Asia are Jane Lin-Baden, Publicis Groupe Asia Pacific’s CEO, Josy Paul, BBDO India’s Chairperson and Chief Creative Officer, Seiya Matsumiya, Black Cat White Cat Music Global’s CEO and Co-Founder, and Naoki Tanaka, Dentsu Lab’s Chief Creative Officer.
On her appointment as Jury President, Lin-Baden says: “It’s an honour to lead this year’s Creative Business Transformation Lions, a category that is especially meaningful to me because it recognises the impact of creativity on our clients’ businesses, aiding them to transform and deliver business and social impact. I am excited and looking forward to being inspired by the ingenuity of our industry to drive transformative change for brands and businesses.”
This year’s Jury Presidents include Ali Ali, Co-Founder and Film Director, Good People Films, representing Egypt on the line-up for the first time, as the Film Craft Lions Jury President.
Cannes Lions has announced significant updates for 2025, including the renaming of the Social & Influencer Lions to the Social & Creator Lions, to acknowledge the growing role of creators in the marketing landscape. Beth Keamy, Chief Digital Officer at TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Global, will serve as Jury President for the Social & Creator Lions, bringing her expertise in digital innovation to lead the Jury in recognising groundbreaking creative work.
In its 10th anniversary year, Glass: The Lion for Change is being redefined to reflect a more expansive vision for social equity. In 2025, the Award’s scope will broaden beyond gender to celebrate creative excellence that promotes more equitable representation across a wider range of communities – from disability and race to sexuality and social inequity. Entrants will be asked to identify the specific community their work represents, outline the problem it seeks to address and demonstrate its meaningful and long-lasting impact. KR Liu, Global Head of Disability Innovation, Google, a celebrated advocate for inclusion and innovation, will play a vital role as Jury President in championing these transformative creative solutions.
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “We are excited to welcome a diverse and forward-thinking group of leaders who understand the transformative power of creative excellence to drive business growth and impact. All experts in their field, their incredible talent, combined with the commitment and leadership they bring to their roles, ensures the highest levels of integrity and rigor in the judging process. We thank them for all that they will bring to the important task ahead of them in June.”
The Cannes Lions 2025 Jury Presidents have been announced as follows:
Audio & Radio
Xolisa Dyeshana, Chief Creative Officer, Joe Public, Africa and Middle East
Brand Experience & Activation
Tara Ford, Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 ANZ and Accenture Song, APAC
Creative B2B
Wendy Walker, Vice President Marketing ASEAN, Salesforce, ASEAN
Creative Business Transformation
Jane Lin-Baden, CEO APAC, Member of the Global Management Committee, Publicis Groupe
Creative Commerce
Gabriel Schmitt, Global Chief Creative Officer, Grey, Global
Creative Data
Tina Allan, Global Chief Data and Intelligence Officer, FCB, Global
Creative Effectiveness
Andrea Diquez, Global CEO, GUT, Global
Creative Strategy
Pats McDonald, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Dentsu Creative, Global
Digital Craft
Naoki Tanaka, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Lab, Dentsu, Global
Direct
Gaëtan du Peloux, President and Chief Creative Officer, Marcel, France
Entertainment Lions
David Rolfe, Global Head of Production, WPP / Hogarth, Global
Entertainment Lions for Gaming
Sue Anderson, Vice President, Creative, Roblox, USA
Entertainment Lions for Music
Seiya Matsumiya, CEO and Co-Founder, Black Cat White Cat Music, Global
Film
Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, Global
Film Craft
Ali Ali, Co-Founder and Film Director, Good People Films, Egypt
Glass: The Lion for Change
KR Liu, Global Head of Disability Innovation, Google, Global
Health & Wellness
Eric Weisberg, Global Chief Creative Officer, Havas Health Network, Global
Industry Craft
Matthias Spaetgens, Chief Creative Officer, Scholz & Friends, Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Innovation
Courtney Brown Warren, Chief Marketing Officer, Kickstarter, Global
Luxury
Mathilde Delhoume Debreu, Global Brand Officer, LVMH, Global
Media
Dan Clays, CEO, Omnicom Media Group, EMEA
Outdoor
Keka Morelle, Chief Creative Officer LATAM, Ogilvy, LATAM
Pharma
Franklin Williams, EVP, Executive Experience Director, AREA 23, an IPG Health company, USA
PR
Tom Beckman, Global Chief Creative Officer, Weber Shandwick, Global
Print & Publishing
Icaro Doria, President and Chief Creative Officer, DM9, Brazil
Social & Creator
Beth Keamy, Chief Digital Officer, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Global
Sustainable Development Goals
Josy Paul, Chairperson and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO, India
Dan Wieden Titanium Lions
Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer, Edelman, Global
The Jury Presidents for the Design Lions and Entertainment Lions for Sport will be announced shortly.
Cannes Lions is now open for Awards submissions until 10 April 2025. The 72nd edition of the Festival takes place from 16 to 20 June in Cannes, France. Further information on the Awards, including entry kits, pass options, as well as the breadth of initiatives, funded opportunities and academies on offer, can be found at www.canneslions.com.