Leo Burnett Sydney digital CD Kieran Ots to represent OZ on Creative Data Lions jury

Lions Innovation, the two day specialist event that explores data and tech as creative catalysts and is part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, has announced the 2016 jurors.

Leo Burnett Sydney digital creative director Kieren Ots (left) will represent Australia on the Creative Data Lions jury and Finch Australia’s Emad Tahtouh is jury president on the Innovation Lions jury.

Two Awards are associated with Lions Innovation, the Innovation Lions, which celebrate pioneering technological creativity, and the Creative Data Lions, which award creativity enabled by data.

Says Terry Savage, chairman, Lions Festivals on the make-up of the juries: “As we enter into the second year of the Creative Data Lions, we have focused on creating a jury that brings together even more data specialists to ensure that the understanding of the application of data is there. We will watch with interest as both juries look to set the precedent in these fast developing industries.”

The two juries have been announced as follows:

Creative Data Lions Jury:

Tash Whitmey, Chief Executive Officer, Havas helia, Global – Jury President

Kieran Ots, Digital Creative Director, Leo Burnett, Australia

Carolina Coppoli, Head Business Intelligence & Strategy Latam, Geometry Global, Argentina

Manjiry Tamhane, Worldwide COO and CEO EMEA, Gain Theory, Global

Petra Sammer, Chief Creative Officer, Ketchum, Germany

Yuya Furukawa, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu, Japan

Edmund Choe, Chief Creative Officer, Singapore & Southeast Asia, TBWA, Singapore & SE Asia

Marc Maleh, VP, Managing Director, Data Science and Visualization, R/GA, USA

Jason Kodish, Global Chief Data Scientist, DigitasLBi, Global Arun Kumar, Global President, Cadreon, Global

Mark Zagorski, CEO, eXelate, a Nielsen Company, Global

Innovation Lions Jury:

Emad Tahtouh, Director, Applied Technology, Finch, Australia – Jury President

Tuomas Peltoniemi, President, Asia and Innovation Director, TBWA/Digital Arts Network, APAC

Yaron Kniajer, Managing Director, Rhodium, Israel

Masaki Mikami, Corporate Officer, Hakuhodo and Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Japan

Fred Saldanha, Americas Chief Creative Officer, Isobar, Brazil Nicole Yershon, Director of Innovation Solutions, Ogilvy Labs, UK

Ray Velez, Chief Technology Officer, Razorfish, USA

Susan Lyne, President + Managing Partner, BBG Ventures, USA Patrick Chaupham, Executive Vice President, Creative Technology, Weber Shandwick, Global

JC Oliver, Global Head of Innovation, AOL, Global

Says Rob Dembitz, head of Lions Innovation: “Once again we welcome a diverse mix of backgrounds to the Festival; from creative technologists to venture capitalists. They will identify the innovative ideas that will make a dramatic difference to how creativity is being enhanced and enabled by new technologies now and in the future.”

In a new addition to Lions Innovation this year, both Tash Whitmey and Finch Australia director, applied technology Emad Tahtouh (left) will hold ‘President’s Masterclasses’. Fresh from judging, they’ll provide insight from the jury rooms, as well as talk about their love affairs with the worlds of data and technology and the opportunities they both hold.

Lions Innovation takes place on 21-22 June, within the eight day Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Entries into the awards are currently being accepted and can be made through www.canneslions.com, where information on the available delegate packages can also be found.