Ali Rez announced as Cannes Jury President

The world’s most prestigious creative awards show, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, has announced Jury Presidents for 2023, and for the first time in its 70-year history, the Middle East will be represented on this exclusive list.

Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer for IMPACT BBDO Group for Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, will be Jury President for Print & Publications, a category in which he was awarded the Grand Prix in 2022 for AnNahar Newspaper’s “Elections Edition.”

While the region has sent several jury members over the years to Cannes festivals, this is the first time a Jury President has been named from the region, a landmark moment.

Ali Rez is the most awarded creative leader in the Middle East & Pakistan, having picked up more than 700 international awards in his career – in 2022, he led IMPACT BBDO to be named Regional Agency or Network of the Year 10 times, including at Cannes Lions. BBDO Pakistan, one of the regional offices Ali leads, was the first agency from the country to win at Cannes, and continues to be the most awarded one.