The Lists 2025: Top 20 Creative Leaders
Campaign’s pick of the top creative leaders over the past 12 months. (142 chars)
In a year defined by bold campaigns, technological leaps and award dominance, these 20 creative leaders have redefined the industry, driving innovation from Middle East emerging talent to global giants like Publicis Conseil and Ogilvy.
The advertising world in 2025 is a battleground of ideas where creativity isn’t just celebrated—it’s the ultimate currency. From WARC’s Creative 100 rankings, which crowned Publicis Conseil Paris as the top agency for its boundary-pushing work with Renault, Orange and the Solar Impulse Foundation, to ADWEEK’s spotlight on visionaries adapting to AI and cultural shifts, the past 12 months have elevated leaders who blend daring concepts with measurable impact. Campaign’s Top 20 Creative Leaders list honors those who’ve orchestrated campaigns that won at Cannes Lions, dominated global awards and reshaped client expectations, drawing from regional risers in the Middle East and international powerhouses.
At number one, Marco Venturelli, Global Chief Creative Officer/CEO at Leo Burnett and Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Conseil, stands as the architect of ambition. His agency’s climb to the pinnacle of WARC’s rankings—vaulting from fourth to first—stems from progressive work that marked their centennial year. “This is a testament to our creative ambition with legacy clients,” Venturelli declared, crediting talents behind Renault’s electric evolution and Orange’s record-breaking WoMen’s Football campaign, the most awarded of 2024.
Lauren Austin, Chief Creative Officer at MKG, claims second for her retro-futurist mastery. Leading a multi-city pop-up tour with Stanley and Barbie that evoked roller discos and honky-tonk saloons, Austin fused nostalgia with modern marketing, proving experiential creativity can break records in a digital-first era.
Third is Pascal Nessim, CEO at Marcel Paris, whose WoMen’s Football for Orange clinched WARC’s top campaign spot. Teamed with Gaëtan Du Peloux and Youri Guerassimov, Nessim’s squad turned sports equity into advertising’s “World Cup,” a feat they called both dream and damnation.
Chris Langemeier of Rethink Toronto, fourth, propelled his independent agency to the top indie slot and fifth overall, with three top-100 campaigns that showcased unfiltered ingenuity against network giants.
Ogilvy’s global network chief, representing its fifth straight year as top network, takes fifth. With 12 top-100 entries from London to Mumbai, this leader harnessed six offices to dominate, underscoring collaborative scale in creativity.
From the Middle East’s rising stars, Anzan Nahas, Senior Designer at Leo Burnett, ranks sixth. Nominated for passion and performance, Nahas embodies the next-gen talent Campaign Middle East flagged as future-shapers in design and bold ideas.
Ashi Karun, seventh, Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Dude Just Dude, channels entrepreneurial fire, crafting boundary-pushing work that blends independence with agency polish.
Greg Brown, Creative Director at Concrete Creative, eighth, leads with disruptive vision, earning nods for ideas that crack complex briefs and push envelopes.
Ghida Makki, ninth, Art Director at Publicis Groupe – Creativity At Scale, scales creativity across borders, her work highlighting the agency’s embrace of diverse talents.
Tenth, Martin Iskander, Art Director at Quill, delivers precision in visual storytelling, a quiet force in the region’s creative surge.
Kyla Villanueva, 11th, CEO and Founder of Growth Creative Studio, rises as a studio pioneer, nominated for performance that turns potential into industry momentum.
Publicis Conseil’s Marco Venturelli influence echoes in 12th-placed Asma Daaboul, Senior Manager – Content at Saatchi & Saatchi MEA, whose content strategies amplify MEA’s global voice.
Avinesh Rao, 13th, Studio Lead at Sagerlabs, orchestrates production that fuels communications innovation.
Francine Manglicmot, 14th, Senior Social Media Executive at Umami Communications, masters digital engagement, shaping PR’s creative frontier.
Chaarulatha Ramesh Kumar, 15th, Motion Graphics Artist and Editor at Liwa Content Driven, animates ideas into viral motion, a technical wizard in content evolution.
Sixteenth, Cynthia Cherfane, Senior Digital Designer at SSUP World, bridges digital design with real-world impact.
Ammar Aldobais, 17th, Art Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, crafts visuals that command attention in competitive briefs.
Atheer AlHasoun, 18th, Graphic Designer at BigTime Creative Shop, infuses fresh aesthetics into social and beyond.
Nuzeen Aziz, 19th, Designer at Publicis Groupe, scales design excellence across networks.
Rounding out the list at 20th, Sarah Helal, Social Strategy Manager at Havas Creative Middle East, strategizes social waves that redefine engagement.
These leaders, spanning C-suite strategists to hands-on creators, reflect 2025’s creative ethos: bigger thinking amid flux. WARC data shows the USA leading with 30 top campaigns, but Middle East talents like those from Leo Burnett and Saatchi signal a global shift. ADWEEK notes adaptation to tech and diversity as key, while Campaign Middle East’s Faces to Watch underscores nominated potential backed by seniors. Brands like Apple and AB InBev topped advertiser ranks, proving client partnerships amplify individual brilliance.
In OOH’s visual realm, these names inspire billboards that demand double-takes. Their past year’s output—from pop-up spectacles to award-sweeping films—sets the benchmark. As Venturelli puts it, it’s about “commitment to progressive work.” Expect their influence to billboard across 2026, turning creativity into cultural landmarks.