Fifteen female creatives from worldwide markets have been selected to form the 2016 #SeeItBeIt group. Their participation is being sponsored.

#SeeItBeIt, the initiative by Cannes Lions to support and develop the industry’s under-representation of female creatives, has revealed the 2016 cohort. The group of high-potential women who were chosen from more than 500 applications and represent a diverse range of global talent include:

  • Katherine O’Brien, Associate Creative Director, Code & Theory, USA
  • Jade Tomlin, Creative Group Head, Hugo & Cat, UK
  • Diana Triana, Creative Director, J. Walter Thompson, Colombia
  • Carrie Dunn, Writer, 72andSunny, USA
  • Atiya Zaidi, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Karachi, Pakistan
  • Knox Balbastro, Regional Associate Creative Director, DigitasLBi, Singapore (pictured)
  • Krystle Mullin, Senior Writer, FCB/SIX, Canada
  • Lauren Smith, Associate Creative Director, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, USA
  • Lucy-Anne Ronayne, Creative Director, Havas London, UK
  • Marina Cuesta, Associate Creative Director Dieste, USA
  • Marta Fraczek, Senior Copywriter, Saatchi & Saatchi /Interactive Solutions, Poland
  • Miruna Macri, Art Director, MRM/McCann, Romania
  • Natasha Romariz Maasri, Associate Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, Brazil
  • Scarlett Montanaro, Art Director, AnalogFolk, UK
  • Ulrika Plotniece, Creative Director, DDB, Latvia

The group will attend as special guests, with airfares and accommodation provided. This year’s programme features curated main stage seminars, behind-the-scenes jury room access, dedicated workshops with awarded senior creatives, one-to-one mentoring from the most respected, inspiring industry leaders and networking opportunities.

Inaugural #SeeItBeIt Ambassador, Sarah Watson, Global Chief Strategy Officer of BBH, who was actively involved in the recruitment of participants, will guide them during the Festival. “If you can’t see the sort of leader that you might become, then the less likely you are to be it,” she said.

“The lack of female creative leadership is widely acknowledged, so it’s now about the speed of action and change. The Class of 2016 may be small in number, but with the power of the very best of Cannes Lions behind them, their impact will reverberate around the world.”

Launched in 2014, the platform is a response to industry gender imbalance. Fewer women than men are joining creative ranks and even less will climb the ladder. Worldwide, it is estimated that only 25 percent of agency creatives are female and just three percent reach creative director level.

A career-accelerator, the programme is focused on increasing impact by ensuring participants pass on the benefits of their experience and advocate for industry gender equality. Cheyney Robinson, 2014 alumni and Isobar Chief Experience Officer for EMEA/APAC is returning to mentor the group.

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