The organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity have introduced a new distinction, Lions Laureate for Marketing, with Jim Stengel, one of the most influential marketing leaders of the past several decades, named as its inaugural recipient.
The honour is intended for individuals whose work has left a lasting mark on the profession and contributed to the advancement of creative marketing as an important business tool. The selection of the first laureate focused on a figure whose influence extended beyond the companies and brands he led, reaching generations of marketing professionals.
During a career spanning more than three decades, Stengel held a number of senior marketing positions, including seven years as Global Marketing Officer at Procter & Gamble. He is particularly associated with the development of modern marketing leadership and with strengthening the role of marketing within business organisations.
His connection with Cannes Lions spans more than two decades. In 2003, he brought the first major delegation of client-side marketing professionals to the festival, helping transform the event into a meeting place for marketers, brand builders, and business leaders from around the world.
Alongside his corporate career, he has dedicated a significant part of his work to education and the development of new generations of marketing professionals. He served as Dean of the first Cannes Lions Creative Academy for Marketers in 2011, and two years later launched the CMO Accelerator Programme, an initiative that continues to focus on the development of senior marketing executives.
Announcing the honour, Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said that Stengel’s influence can be seen not only through the brands and business results he helped build, but also through the leaders he mentored and inspired throughout his career.
Commenting on the recognition, Stengel said that he views the award as a reflection of the many professional relationships he has built throughout his career, adding that he considers creativity to be one of the most important drivers of business growth and positive change in society.
Stengel will deliver the first Lions Laureate lecture on 25 June at the Debussy Theatre. Later that day, he will receive the honour during the awards ceremony at Cannes Lions.
