The UAE jury members will collaborate closely with awarding jurors from 54 markets to recognize and honor outstanding work from around the world at this year’s festival
Cannes Lions has unveiled the cohort of global experts selected to award the world’s finest creative and effective work, setting the standard for excellence this June at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Among the distinguished jury members announced, this year will feature thirteen representatives from the United Arab Emirates.
The 71st edition of Cannes Lions will witness Leo Burnett’s Kalpesh Patankar serving as the first Jury President for Industry Craft Lions from the MENA region, marking the second consecutive jury representation in two years.
Commenting on the Jury, Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said: “We’re delighted to have a balance and breadth of expertise and global representation across our Juries. The Awarding Juries represent the global industry’s leading talent from a diverse range of disciplines, and we welcome the unique perspectives they bring. We thank them for their time, dedication, and care in setting the global creative benchmark for our industry.”
Regarding the Cannes Lions jury panel from the UAE, Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said, “We are excited to see the continuous increase in the UAE’s footprint at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Kalpesh Patankar’s appointment as the second consecutive jury president in two years serves as a clear indication of the creative industry’s development here, steered by a diverse and talented group of experts. This reflects the UAE’s steadfast dedication to upholding standards of excellence and innovation in advertising, marketing, and communications. With a further twelve talented jury members, each bringing their own unique perspectives to the judging process, this is a great representation of our region at the international level.”
The 2024 Awarding Jury Members from the UAE have been named as:
Brand Experience & Activation:
Nayaab Rais, Senior Creative Director, FP7 McCann Dubai
Creative Commerce:
Sebastien Boutebel, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi ME
Creative Effectiveness:
Islam Eldessouky, Global VP, Creative & Strategy, Coca-Cola TM
Digital Craft:
Stacy Andersen, Head of Digital Transformation & Innovation, Merkle MENAT
Direct:
Saymon Medeiros, Creative Director, and us
Entertainment Lions For Music:
Pierre Carnet, Managing Director, MENA, MassiveMusic
Film:
Camila Venegas Gomez, Associate Creative Director, M&C Saatchi
Industry Craft (Jury President):
Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett
Media
Elda Choucair, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media Group (MENA)
Pharma
Darius LaBelle, President, BPG Group
PR
Marie Claire Maalouf, Chief Creative Officer, Edelman
Radio & Audio
Federico Fanti, Chief Creative Officer, FP7 McCann Dubai
Titanium
Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, Impact BBDO
With shortlisting jury line-up alongside the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions Jury to be announced soon, see the full list of Global Presidents and Awarding Juries here.
Further information on this year’s Festival and the Lions Awards can be found at visit www.canneslions.com
Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan are the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE.
Source: Cannes Lions
Clara Armanious, a senior student studying Strategic Communication and Marketing at Murdoch University Dubai, to represent the UAE at the exclusive Cannes Lions Roger Hatchuel Academy 2024
Established in 2003, The Roger Hatchuel Student Academy—an initiative of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity—offers graduating advertising and creative communications students a unique opportunity to gain deeper insights into the global creative landscape and kickstart their careers in advertising through a comprehensive six-day program.
Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan, official UAE representatives for the Cannes Lions Festival, are delighted to announce that Clara Armanious, a senior student studying Strategic Communication and Marketing at Murdoch University Dubai, has been selected to represent the UAE at the prestigious Cannes Lions Roger Hatchuel Academy 2024.
Clara was selected based on her submissions, which underwent review by the Roger Hatchuel Academy Jury Panel – a diverse mix of global creative industry experts.
Commenting on being chosen to be a part of this year’s Roger Hatchuel Academy, Clara said, “Call me a dreamer, but ever since I was a little girl, my world has been filled with a love for creativity and communication—from doodling in my notebooks to capturing moments through my camera lens. I always had a passion for communicating and connecting with people. If you had told me that this is what I would be doing, I would not have believed it.”
“Representing the UAE at the esteemed Roger Hatchuel Academy at the Cannes Lions is an honor and a milestone that will forever hold a special place in my heart. This would have never been possible without the support of my Murdoch University Dubai family. A special thank you to my professor Mr. Joseph John Nalloor, who has guided me through it all and always believed in me. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and excited to feed my creative algorithm and embark on this journey,” she added.
Acknowledging Clara’s selection for the 2024 Roger Hatchuel Academy program, Joseph John Nalloor, lead of the Media and Communications discipline at Murdoch University Dubai said, “It’s a proud moment for us at Murdoch University Dubai that our communications student Clara Armanious will be representing UAE at the prestigious Roger Hatchuel Academy 2024 at the Cannes Lions Festival 2024. It’s a great honor for our student to be selected and it is a reflection of our strong industry-academic partnership that we have in place for our communication students.”
“It will be a great learning experience for Clara and an inspiration for other UAE students to strive for excellence on a global platform. We want to thank the festival, the RHA, Ian Fairservice, Motivate Media Group, Avinash Udeshi and Sahal Valliyot from the Motivate Val Morgan team for their constant support and for encouraging young talent in the region,” he added.
Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner, Motivate Media Group, said “Congratulations to Clara Armanious from Murdoch University Dubai for her selection to represent the UAE at the 2024 Cannes Lions Roger Hatchuel Academy. I’m sure Clara will display her remarkable talent and shine a spotlight on the vibrant creative landscape of the UAE.”
The Roger Hatchuel Academy representative class of 2024 will comprise 30 students, selected from around the world to participate in a six-day program covering areas such as introduction to the creative industry, professional development, personal brand enhancement, and much more. They will learn first-hand from the world’s greatest brands, creative minds, and industry leaders.
This year’s Academy will run in parallel to the Cannes Lions Festival from 16th – 21st June 2024 in Cannes, France. Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan extend their best wishes to Clara Armanious, hoping that her experience at the Academy will foster a positive and creative impact on her future endeavors in the industry.
