Maurice Levy is honorary chairman of Cannes Lions School

Maurice Levy © Publicis Groupe Facebook page

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, as Cannes Lions School the collective name of the festival’s extensive onsite learning and development programmes.

Catering to multiple disciplines and career stages, the programmes run exclusively during the festival week each June. In his role, 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, 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. In our group, 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 and training at Cannes Lions added, “Levy will help raise the profile of our professional training at the festival. Creativity is at the heart of all our training, whether that is for students at the beginning of their career, the rising stars and next generation of industry leaders, or experienced senior marketers. We are 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 exciting, I cannot wait to get started.”

As part of his role, Levy will address the Young Lions onsite on the penultimate day of the festival, encouraging them to share their knowledge and be the champions of creativity in their company. He will also offer his counsel on how the festival can keep providing meaningful training going forwards.

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