Cannes Lions reveals 2026 Jury Presidents; First time independent agencies join the line-up
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, taking place 22–26 June 2026, has announced its 2026 Jury President line-up, bringing together an exceptional group of global leaders to define creative excellence that will shape the year ahead.
Across the line-up, Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev, Global, has been named the inaugural Jury President for the Creative Brand Lion, recognising his leadership in building globally iconic brands through creativity at scale. Under his stewardship, AB InBev is the only brand to have been named Creative Marketer of the Year twice in the history of the Festival, underscoring a sustained commitment to creativity as a core business driver. The Creative Brand Lion has been introduced this year to recognise the visionary brands that are building the systems, cultures and capabilities that make world-class creative marketing inevitable and repeatable – and the practices that transform creative potential into lasting business impact.
The line-up also highlights the growing influence of independent agencies, alongside leaders from global brands and platforms. With first-time Jury Presidents from Artplan, Rethink, M+C Saatchi and Mother, the line-up recognises the vital role independent agencies play in pushing creative boundaries across industries and markets worldwide.
Commenting on this year’s line-up, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Our Jury Presidents are selected for their proven creative leadership, global perspective and ability to recognise creative work that will raise the bar. The 2026 Jury President line-up reflects the full breadth of creativity today – spanning from brand building to transformation, to driving culture and influencing commerce. I have no doubt they will collectively set a powerful new standard for the year ahead.”
The Cannes Lions 2026 Jury Presidents have been announced as follows:
Audio & Radio
Oriel Davis-Lyons | Chief Creative Officer, Mother New York, USA
Brand Experience & Activation
Rafael Pitanguy | Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML, Global
Creative B2B
Ty Heath | Global Director, Thought Leadership, GTM Strategy, LinkedIn, Global
Creative Brand
Marcel Marcondes | Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev, Global
Creative Business Transformation
Gugu Mthembu | Chief Marketing Officer, Telkom, South Africa
Creative Commerce
Phil Camarota | Chief Creative Officer, Flywheel, Global
Creative Data
Anupriya Acharya | CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia
Creative Effectiveness
Bertille Toledano | CEO, BETC and Havas Creative Middle East; President, Havas Creative Network, Global
Creative Strategy
Sarah Lemarié | Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis, France
Design
Greg Quinton | Chief Creative Officer, Design Bridge and Partners, Global
Digital Craft
Andrés Ordóñez | Global Chief Creative Officer, McCann, Global
Direct
Joaquín Cubría | Chief Creative Officer, GUT, Argentina
Entertainment
Chris Beresford-Hill | Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide, Global
Entertainment Lions for Gaming
Lolly Thomson | Joint Global Chief Creative Officer, M+C Saatchi Group, Global
Entertainment Lions for Music
Matt Murphy | Global Chief Creative Officer, 72andSunny, Global
Film
Pelle Sjoenell | Former Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Droga5, part of Accenture Song, Global
Glass: The Lion for Change
Monique Nelson | Executive Chair, UWG, USA
Health & Wellness
Kainaz Karmakar | Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, India
Industry Craft
Rafael Gil | Chief Creative Officer, Artplan, Brazil
Innovation
Kazuhiro Shimura | Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc., Japan
Media
Sindhuja Rai | Chief Client Officer, WPP Media, APMEA
Outdoor
Aaron Starkman | Global Chief Creative Officer, Rethink, Global
PR
Dana Tahir | CEO, HAVAS Red, Middle East and Egypt
Print & Publishing
Jessica Apellaniz | Chief Creative Officer, Wieden+Kennedy, Mexico
Social & Creator
Mihnea Gheorghiu | Global Chief Creative Officer, LePub, Global
Sustainable Development Goals
Kazoo Sato | Chief Creative Officer and CEO, Earth Centric Design, Japan
Dan Wieden Titanium
Chaka Sobhani | Global Chief Creative Officer, TBWAWorldwide, Global