From left, Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, Impact BBDO; Akanksha Goel, Founder, Socialize; Gush Mundae, Founder and CEO, Bulletproof Design.The annual D&AD Awards, known for the D&AD Pencils, run by Design and Art Direction, formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, have revealed three Jury Presidents from the Middle East region.
Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer at IMPACT BBDO has been chosen as the President for the Impact Jury 2026; Akanksha Goel, Vice President, Regional Lead for the Middle East & India, We Are Social, has been picked as the President for the Creator Content Jury 2026; and Gush Mundae, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bulletproof Design, has been called up to lead as President for Packaging Design Jury 2026.
Awarded Creative Person of the Year four times by Campaign Middle East at its annual Agency of the Year Middle East awards, Ali Rez is the most awarded creative leader in the Middle East, and currently leads creative output for the IMPACT BBDO Group across the MENA and Pakistan region.
Rez’s work has been instrumental in Impact BBDO being named the No. 2 Agency In The World on the WARC report, while winning 41 different No.1 Regional Agency accolades in four years for bringing tremendous business success and creative excellence to the Group, and positive impact to social causes.
Speaking to Campaign Middle East about being chosen as Jury President, Rez said, “What an honour it is to be named Jury President at this toughest of shows. And that too in the most human of all categories: Impact. A category honouring creative work that inspires meaningful change while creating real value for the organisations behind the ideas. Work that speaks to people, addresses challenges, acts with integrity, and demonstrates that purpose and progress are inseparable. That caring deeply drives success.”
Recognised among AdAge’s Women to Watch in the GCC and the Top 25 Innovators in Asia Pacific by the Holmes Report, Akanksha Goel is the founder of Socialize, the Middle East’s first specialist social media agency, established in 2010. She grew Socialize into a regional leader with a pioneering approach, integrating creative, media, and tech solutions while developing proprietary tools such as FrontRow, a unique Arab influencer directory.
In 2018, Socialize joined the global network We Are Social through a majority acquisition. This year, Socialize rebranded to become We Are Social as part of a unified global growth strategy. Akanksha serves as Vice President, Regional Lead for the Middle East & India at We Are Social, part of Plus Company, driving strategic initiatives and product innovation.
Responding to the Jury President announcement, Goel told Campaign Middle East, “I’m excited and honored to step into the role of Jury President for the Creator Content category at D&AD 2026, particularly having witnessed its launch last year. Creator-led storytelling has become one of the most dynamic forces in our industry – shaping culture, influencing behaviour, and redefining how brands and communities connect. Our focus this year will be to celebrate work that is original, culturally intelligent, and built with craft and intention. I’m excited to champion the best of what this new creative economy can do.”
Gush Mundae is founder of Bulletproof Design, a brand design agency with studios in Dubai, London, New York, Singapore, Amsterdam and Sydney. With regional clients such as Agthia, Aujan Group, Majid Al Futtaim, Omniyat and Saudi Tourism, and global clients such as Heineken, Mondelez, Kraft and Diageo, Mundae’s remit now is agency growth – leading Bulletproof through all eventualities towards its future.
Hands on and immersed deeply, the agency he created in 1998 with just one desk, one telephone and one fax machine has changed, but his vision for Bulletproof remains untouched.
Mundae told Campaign Middle East, “As a kid from the back end of nowhere, if you had told me that one day I’d be a Jury President at the mighty D&AD I’d have asked what you’ve been smoking. Fast forward to today and I’m honoured to announce I’ll oversee what’s easily the OG category – packaging (and I would argue the most creative) at the 26th annual D&AD awards #dandad26. I love everything packaging related, the tactility, the inventiveness and the sheer creative breadth. It’s where I cut my cloth, where my heart lies and where I feel most inspired.”
Keep an eye out on Campaign Middle East’s continued coverage of all the key awards recognising leaders and work from the region.
