Drawing a crowd of around 15,000 people each year, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is one of the largest celebrations of marketing in the world. For one week in June each year, creatives from across advertising, communications and design converge on the southern French city to network, learn and show off their best work.
Simon Cook has been overseeing the awards since becoming managing director in 2019. Two years later, he assumed the position of CEO. A former advertising executive himself, he is passionate about the role creativity can, and should, play in modern business.
Did you always want to be a CEO?
No! I’m actually a failed advertising creative. I started out working in advertising agencies before I joined Cannes Lions. It was meant to be a stopgap – I thought it would be useful to spend a year being inspired by and having access to thousands of pieces of the best creative work in the world.
At the time, I thought working for Cannes would be very glamorous, but I spent my first day polishing, boxing and shipping Cannes Lions trophies. Ten years later, after taking on many different roles, I was promoted to CEO. I think the common misconception about CEOs is that they’re not creative but, based on my experience, it involves more creative problem-solving than any other job that I’ve had. So I still get to use that muscle, thankfully.
What do you think makes a good leader?
Understanding that you are in service to your people and not the other way around. I firmly believe that creating psychological safety is very important.
I believe that creativity and innovation are growth drivers for business and that great ideas can come from absolutely anywhere so, as a leader, I aim to be accessible, open and approachable. These are all great qualities to have if you want immediate access to ideas and different points of view that could potentially have a dramatic impact on the success of your business.
What do you think your staff think of you?
I would hope they would say I am accessible, honest and fair. And also that I really care.
I try to encourage people to find the thing that they’re really great at. I was lucky enough to try my hand at many different things before I took on this specific role. So at Lions, I actively encourage people to do the same because you don’t know if you’re going to be great at something unless you are given the opportunity to give it a go.
What do you look for when you’re hiring for your leadership team?
I am always on the hunt for smart, kind people. When I say smart, I’m not referring to people who have an honours degree or an MBA. I’m talking about curious people who want to continuously learn.
Diversity of thought and expertise is important. They also need to have the desire to get stuck in and build something collaboratively. I’m looking for leaders who can create an environment that allows their team to do their very best work.
What do you consider to be the biggest challenge in business right now?
The biggest challenge for CEOs right now is the wide breadth of opportunities. Opportunity is a very positive thing but there’s so much of it. With the advancement of technology, new business models opening up all the time and the rapid pace of change, making the right choices can be a bit of a minefield.
What’s the main driver of change in your business?
According to our recent State of Creativity study, which is completed by thousands of marketers and advertising creatives around the world, it’s clear that high-performing brands are increasingly aware of the correlation between creative marketing and business growth. In fact, brands that predict higher growth in 2024 are six times more likely to prioritise creative marketing, and 4.6 times more likely to have a higher marketing spend. But they also identified that convincing stakeholders to invest in creativity was one of their top challenges. So there’s a bit of a disconnect there.
We believe it’s our job to provide marketers with the data and the intelligence that helps them make the connection between creative marketing and the boardroom growth agenda. It’s our job to help them champion creative marketing.
What’s been your proudest achievement in your current role?
The work that we’ve done in the last few years to ensure that equity, representation and accessibility sits at the heart of the brand. This year that includes our ERA (equity representation and accessibility) programme, where we’re allocating nearly €1.5m (£1.3m) of festival passes to under-represented groups.
That’s building on last year, when we introduced the Lions scholarship. It’s a fully subsidised learning programme for individuals from around the world who might not normally get the opportunity to attend the festival.
Which book do you think every business leader should read at least once?
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. It forces you to examine where you’re uniquely placed to add value, both in your organisation and in life. It’s a great read if you want to determine where your highest level of contribution lies and then make the execution of those particular things almost effortless. It’s a great refresher and reminder for leaders.
What is one piece of advice you would give to your successor?
I’ve got more than one! First, it’s not about you. Leading a 70-year-old heritage brand is such a privilege. We are standing on the shoulders of giants and everything that has come before – nothing is bigger than the brand. You are the brand guardian during your tenure, so you need to make decisions that will be on the right side of history and add to the legacy of the brand.
I would advise my successor to honour the past but embrace the future and, ultimately, do it their way. We lead much more effectively when we’re authentic, rather than replicating someone else’s approach.
