Dana Tahir, CEO, HAVAS Red Middle East, and Cannes Lions Jury President for PR.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 leaders to evaluate creative excellence from across the globe.
Within the line-up, Dana Tahir, CEO, HAVAS Red Middle East has been chosen as the Jury President for PR. This makes Tahir the first Arab woman from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to be chosen as a Cannes Lions Jury President.
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.”
Also, in the 2026 Jury President line-up revealed by Cannes Lions is Bertille Toledano, CEO of BETC, President of Havas Creative Network, and CEO of Havas Creative Middle East, who has been picked as the Jury President for Creative Effectiveness.
Meanwhile, in her new role, Toledano is leading a Creative Powerhouse in the Middle East, reinforcing the Group’s commitment to world-class creativity and bold production capabilities.
She is working closely with Dany Naaman, CEO of Havas Middle East, to ensure that the Middle East region delivers its full creative and business potential leveraging Havas’ Converged.AI strategy.
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, TBWA\Worldwide, Global
Cannes Lions is open for Awards submissions until 9 April 2026. Further information on the 2026 Awards, including dates, Entry Kits and the LIONS Integrity Handbook, can be found here.
The 73rd edition of the Festival takes place from 22 to 26 June in Cannes, France. Pass options, as well as the breadth of initiatives, funded opportunities and talent programmes can be found at www.canneslions.com.
