Careers in the Making
Cannes Lions is home to incredible tales of inspiration, resilience and creativity. Hear some of them here.
In Careers In The Making, we catch up with Festival delegates from all walks of life – learning about their stories, their passion and how Cannes Lions is helping shape their creativity today. No matter where you are in your creative journey, here’s where you’ll find some inspiration to make history of your own.
Careers In The Making | Series 3
“Be open always to listen, to see, to understand new things.”
Rony Saavedra
Art Director
Hard work and humility are often overlooked when it comes to creativity. But for Rony Saavedra, staying grounded and simple in his work is key to his success. In the latest episode of Careers In The Making, Rony explains why trusting his ability is the most important part of his process – and how it’s helped him win two Awards in the Young Lions Competition.
“Your voice can really make a difference.”
Bernice Puleng Mosala
Copywriter, FP7 McCann
‘Keep going’ are two small words with big impact for Bernice Puleng Mosala. After entering the Young Lions Competition for the first time in 2019, Bernice won in 2020 – but couldn’t attend due to Covid. Fast forward to 2023 and she was a winner in her local Lions Competition. This year, she won Gold in Cannes. For Careers In The Making, this is her story.
“I am healthy. I am strong. In this room I do belong.”
Joy Richu
Illustrator
Joy Richu, part of the 2024 See It Be It cohort, brings her lived experience to her practice in a way that feels authentic and exciting. Speaking at this year’s Festival, she describes what creativity means to her – and what it means to take her space as a woman of colour.
“Just be as creative as you can get, be as wild as you can get.”
TK Teo
Associate Creative Director, Bluefocus Communication Group
Young creatives are driving the industry forward with fresh ideas and approaches – and for TK Teo, Cannes Lions is the perfect place to gather those new perspectives. In the 2024 Creative Academy, TK met and worked with peers from around the world. Here’s how his Festival experience has shaped his work.
Careers In The Making | Series 2
“Create acts, not ads.”
Esosa Osagiede
Deputy Creative Director, Leo Burnett, Nigeria
As part of See It Be It 2023, Esosa Osagiede wanted to bring about real change back home in Nigeria – helping drive progress by encouraging more women not just to get into the creative field, but to reach the top of it.
“It was such a beautiful experience to be part of this.”
Lex Remalante
Global Creative, The Barn, Arla
Sometimes, getting your foot in the door isn’t enough. As a member of the See It Be It cohort for 2023, Lex Remalante went to Cannes Lions to take the door off its hinges – and invite every participant after her to do the same.
“I feel like my creativity is broader. I'm able to bring fresh perspectives. I'm able to offer new ideas in ways that people have never thought about.”
Jeng Au
Creative Art Director, Amazon
Cannes Lions is a place for people of all backgrounds to celebrate creative history in the making. In this episode, Jeng discusses how their lived experience brings power to their practice.
“When you put your heart, your sentiment, your intention to a project, that really shows in the results.”
Max Alonso
Co-Founder and Executive Producer, UMMI
Creativity takes heart. But Max goes further – ensuring heart is always at the core of his creative process. We spoke to Max about the importance of personal connection and emotion in creativity.
Careers In The Making | Series 1
“You get innovation when you bring these different dynamics of perspective.”
Vincent Bragg
ConCreates
Creativity can thrive in the most difficult of circumstances. Vincent Bragg is living proof of that. He started his creative agency, ConCreates, whilst serving time in prison and his team of radical thinkers draws on incarcerated men and women, and former inmates.
“It’s all about being transparent in the workplace, with each other. It’s the age of authenticity, in a way.”
Çağla Büyükkoç Sütlüoğlu
Walrus Creative Works
Creativity is at its best with humanity at its core. Çağla advocates for mental health positivity in the industry. She shares her story of kindness as part of the See It Be It cohort at Cannes Lions 2023.
“To normalise experiences like this for working class people of colour, with a disability especially… it’s amazing.”
Zoe Fox
Podcaster, writer
Creative excellence will find a way to break through adversity. Against the odds, Zoe inspires women to find their true potential through creativity – all the while living with a spinal cord injury that changed her life forever.
“I do believe if I put my mind to something, I will eventually learn it and do it.”
Sameer Ali
Adcom Leo Burnett
Having won a LIONS Scholarship, Sameer is one of the first people from Pakistan to attend a Creative Academy. Here’s how his lived experience and his time at Cannes Lions have influenced his creativity.
“I want to learn. I want to be around these people because I want to learn how I can create impactful stories that will make people want to react.”
Grace Lokako
Logitech
When creativity and technology combine, progress comes easily. Grace discusses what it means to be part of Cannes Lions on a scholarship – and how she’ll use what she’s learned back home in Switzerland to address the gender gap in tech.