Cannes Lions Announces Maurice Levy as Honorary Chairman of the Cannes Lions School

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has invited Maurice Levy to become its first Honorary Chairman of the Cannes Lions School, the collective name of the Festival's extensive onsite learning and development programmes.

Cannes Lions has been training the industry since 1995, evolving from a one-off Young Lions Competition, to today offering varied learning opportunities and competitions. Catering to multiple disciplines and career stages, the programmes run exclusively during the Festival week each June. In his role as Honorary Chairman, Mr Levy will help the Festival focus on talent, developing its existing programme and exploring new opportunities at the Festival and throughout the year.

Commenting on his appointment Mr Levy said, “I am honoured that the Festival asked me to take on the role of Honorary Chairman of the Cannes Lions School, an initiative that I believe is essential for supporting and promoting future generations of creative minds. We are in a people industry and must remain true to this by helping young talents to bloom, flourish and grow. At Publicis Groupe, we value the people behind the work we create above all else; our talents are our strongest assets. I am more excited than ever to see what the future generations of talented individuals will bring to the Festival and to the industry as a whole, and the Cannes Lions School is a great gateway to achieving a more creative future”.

Steve Latham, Head of Talent & Training at Cannes Lions added, “Mr Levy will help raise the profile of our professional training at the Festival. Creativity is at the heart of all our training, whether that’s for students at the beginning of their career, the rising stars and next generation of industry leaders, or experienced senior marketers. We’re committed to inspiring our students and proving creativity can be a force for business, for change and for good. Working with an industry legend to help us ensure our training remains relevant is so exciting, I can’t wait to get started”.

As part of his role, Mr Levy will address the Young Lions onsite on the penultimate day of the Festival, encouraging them to take home and share their learnings and be the champion of creativity in their company. Mr Levy will also offer his counsel on how the Festival can keep providing meaningful training going forwards.

For more information on the Cannes Lions School and how you can get involved, please contact Steve Latham, Head of Talent & Training, at stevelatham@canneslions.com or see the website, www.canneslions.com