The European creative industry has a new name at the helm of one of its most important organizations. Dörte Spengler-Ahrens, Chairwoman of Jung von Matt Group, has been appointed the new President of the Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE), an organization celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
Her appointment comes at a time when ADCE is undergoing one of its most significant transformations in recent years. Alongside the leadership change, the organization is introducing a new awards model designed to broaden access and better reflect the diversity of Europe’s creative landscape.
One of Germany’s most awarded creative leaders, Spengler-Ahrens has spent her career building agencies, launching new companies within the Jung von Matt network, and leading projects for brands including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Sixt, NIVEA, Zalando, and BVG. Her role at ADCE is expected to further strengthen the organization’s position as a European benchmark for creative excellence.
Issues of representation and equal opportunity have played a significant role throughout her professional career. As the first female President of ADC Germany, she advocated for a stronger focus on inclusion and representation within the creative industry. She now intends to bring a similar approach to the European level.
Gender equality remains one of the industry’s ongoing challenges. Although some progress has been made in recent years, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in leadership positions across many creative organizations and agencies. For that reason, the new leadership of ADCE places additional emphasis on the visibility and leadership roles of women within the sector.
Support for the appointment also came from Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club for Creativity, which ADCE became part of in 2023. He highlighted Spengler-Ahrens’ long-standing relationship with international creative competitions and her contribution to numerous juries, including The One Show, ADC Awards, and Next Creative Leaders.
The leadership transition is accompanied by changes to the awards system itself. ADCE recently introduced a new eligibility model under which participation is no longer limited to winning and shortlisted work from member-club competitions. Access has been expanded to include all entries submitted to competitions organized by ADCE’s 25 member clubs, as well as selected relevant competitions run by other European organizations.
The change is expected to create more opportunities for independent creatives, smaller markets, and emerging talent, while enabling broader representation of different creative perspectives from across Europe.
Dörte Spengler-Ahrens’ career has been marked by numerous professional and industry recognitions. She has received awards including the Horizont Award for Germany’s Agency Person of the Year, the Braveheart Award, and the LIA Legend Award. Over more than two decades, she has served as jury president, juror, and festival president at competitions including Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, Eurobest, LIA, The One Show, and ADCE.
In 2024, she was also appointed Non-Executive Chairwoman of Jung von Matt Group, marking another historic milestone for the company. Today, she takes on a new European role at a moment when ADCE is seeking to redefine its position and expand the community of creatives it represents.
