Ali Rez

Agency: IMPACT BBDO

United Arab Emirates

Ali’s ambition has always been to lift the UAE, and the Middle East region as a whole, in global advertising rankings and standings even further. In 2023 he achieved this in several manners, through award wins, jury appointments, business results, rankings, and the kind of innovative work he has led IMPACT BBDO to create. There is no other creative leader in MENA currently who has achieved this level of all-round global recognition for the Middle East last year.

Committed to coaching the next generation of young creatives, and passionate about diversity and inclusion, Ali is steadfast in his resolve to make the industry even stronger in the future. For the first time in Cannes Lions' 70 year history, a jury president was picked from the Middle East - it is not a coincidence that Ali represented the region. In the last year, the culture, purpose, quality, and the sense of shared growth that Ali has injected into IMPACT BBDO, has resulted in tremendous success. It promises to continue to deliver even greater rewards. Not just for the agency and its people, but for the region as a whole.