BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA — Ahead of its three-day festival from August 21 to 23, MAD STARS 2024 has unveiled its esteemed Executive Jury, a lineup that promises to bring a wealth of experience and innovation to the forefront.
Ali Rez, Impact BBDO’s Chief Creative Officer, was previously a speaker and jury member at MAD STARS 2023. He joins this year’s edition as part of the Executive Jury. With a track record of pushing creative boundaries, he brings considerable expertise and a fresh perspective to the judging panel.
Ali has won over 900 international accolades in his career spanning four continents over 20 years, which include Grands Prix at all the major shows, such as Cannes Lions, Clio, OneShow, Loeries, and Effies — awards which have led him to be ranked Number One ECD in MENA and APAC on several creative rankings. In 2023, he was the first jury president ever at Cannes Lions to represent the Middle East.
Joining him is Emma de la Fosse, Edelman UK’s Chief Creative Officer. Starting as a copywriter at a boutique agency, Emma later co-led OgilvyOne, making it the UK’s most awarded digital and direct agency. She then became the first Group Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy UK, overseeing a diverse portfolio. Subsequently, she revitalized Digitas UK as its CCO, showcasing her creative prowess. In 2023, she took on the role of Chief Creative Officer at Edelman UK, a testament to her versatile creativity and strategic leadership.
Jan-Paul Jeffrey, Spotify’s Head of Marketing for Asia, is a distinguished addition to the Executive Jury, At Spotify, Jan leads marketing functions across eight markets with the goal of putting consumer insights at the center of the business. He leverages big data, growth hacking, personalization, customer relationship management, and marketing automation to optimize marketing spend and accelerate business growth for the company.
Rose Herceg, WPP’s President for AUNZ, also joins the lineup. Leading WPP’s business in Australia and New Zealand, she supports the agency leaders, promotes the company’s collective capabilities, and brings together people and resources on behalf of clients. Rose was previously Chief Strategy Officer of WPP AUNZ, which became a wholly owned part of WPP in 2021. In this role, she led client-facing activity at the WPP level, helping to deliver the company’s integrated offer of communications, experience, commerce, and technology across its network of agencies.
Rounding off the panel is Suzana Apelbaum, Google’s Head of Creative and Innovation for the US. Leading innovation projects and digital campaigns, she oversees content for media partnerships across Google’s key brands. With over 20 years of experience, Suzana has earned over 30 international awards and collaborated with renowned global brands like Converse, Coca-Cola, Fiat, Barbie, and P&G. Beginning her career in Brazil, she relocated to New York in 2010, holding executive creative roles at agencies including StrawberryFrog, VML, and Anomaly. Currently, Suzana is a member of the Ad Council USA’s Diversity and Leadership Board.
MAD STARS 2024 is set to showcase unparalleled creativity and ingenuity, and with this exceptional executive jury at the helm, participants can anticipate an insightful evaluation of their work from some of the industry’s brightest minds. As the anticipation builds, MAD STARS once again invites marketing, advertising, and digital content professionals to submit their entries for a chance to shine in this prestigious competition.
Submissions for MAD STARS 2024 are open until June 15.
