The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, scheduled from 22–26 June 2026, has unveiled its Jury President line-up for the year, bringing together global leaders to judge creative excellence across categories.
Among the appointments, Dana Tahir, CEO of HAVAS Red Middle East, has been named Jury President for PR. With this selection, Tahir becomes the first Arab woman from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to hold the prestigious Cannes Lions Jury President role.
Commenting on being selected as Jury President, Tahir said on a LinkedIn post, “As the first Arab woman in the Middle East to hold this global role, this is a deeply meaningful milestone for me personally, one that comes with a responsibility I carry with intention and care. Cannes Lions has long been the benchmark for creativity that drives culture, business, and impact. I’m looking forward to working alongside an incredible jury to recognise the very best in PR, work that pushes boundaries, shapes reputations, influences conversations, creates meaningful change and sets new global standards for creativity.”
Dany Naaman, CEO, HAVAS Middle East, added, “Dana’s selection as Jury President is a landmark moment for the PR industry in the Middle East. It speaks to the strength of leadership emerging from the region and the growing role it plays in shaping global industry standards. We are incredibly proud of Dana and what this moment represents.”
From a global perspective, James Wright, Global CEO, HAVAS Red and Chairman of HAVAS PR Network, said, “Dana’s selection reflects the growing importance of leaders who can navigate culture, creativity, and impact with equal fluency. Shaped by her experience in the MENA region, her perspective is both grounded and globally relevant. Having worked with Dana closely over the years I know her keen eye for a breakthrough idea centred in earned that is then brilliantly executed and activated means we will see the best of the best work rise to the top in the PR Lions. It’s a proud moment for HAVAS Red and our global HAVAS PR network.”
The announcement also includes Bertille Toledano, CEO of BETC and President of Havas Creative Network, who will serve as Jury President for Creative Effectiveness. In her expanded role, Toledano is leading a Creative Powerhouse in the Middle East and collaborating closely with Dany Naaman to drive the region’s creative and business ambitions through Havas’ Converged.AI strategy.
Commenting on the broader 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, TBWA\Worldwide, Global
Cannes Lions 2026 is open for award submissions until 9 April 2026, with the festival set to take place in Cannes, France from 22 to 26 June.
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