Cannes Lions announces the 2026 Shortlisting Jury line-up for its International Festival of Creativity taking place from 22 to 26 June, in France.

The Shortlisting Jury includes two Jordanians for the first time, with Rizek Jildeh and Raya AbuJaber selected.

Rizek is a Group Head of Strategy at Adpro& Group, where he leads brand and communication strategy across a diverse portfolio of regional and international clients. With a background spanning Omnicom London and BBDO Dubai, he brings a blend of global rigor and deep local cultural understanding to his work. He specializes in building distinctive, culturally resonant brand platforms that drive both business growth and creative excellence. His work sits at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and culture, with a strong belief that brands must move beyond generic communication to create lasting mental availability and emotional impact. Rizek has led strategic thinking across categories including aviation, banking, telecom, FMCG, media, and consumer products, contributing to work that has been recognized at leading regional and global award shows. As part of the Adpro& team, he has contributed to a series of industry firsts for both the agency and the Kingdom across global award shows, helping put Jordan on the international creative map. He has also served as a juror across several regional and global award shows. Known for his sharp thinking and provocative approach, Rizek is particularly focused on helping brands stand out in an era of sameness, where distinctiveness is no longer optional, but essential.

Raya is an award-winning Creative Director from Jordan with over 10 years of experience creating culturally resonant work recognized regionally and globally at leading agencies including Y&R and JWT Amman. Throughout her career, she has helped bring multiple creative firsts to Jordan, contributing to the country’s growing presence on the global advertising map. Her work is driven by a belief that creativity should not only build brands, but also move culture, challenge perceptions, and create meaningful visibility for underrepresented voices. She has been recognized as a Next Creative Leader by The One Club, completed the Cannes Lions Creative MBA, and has been selected as a jury member for leading global advertising festivals. Her creative journey has been shaped by storytelling, strategic thinking, and a deep connection to the region she represents. As a female Creative Director from Jordan, Raya is passionate about opening doors for more women in the industry and proving that powerful ideas can come from anywhere, especially from places still fighting to be seen.

The Jury will shortlist world-class creative work that will go on to be judged, awarded and celebrated during the festival. This year’s global line-up brings together a diverse collection of experts reflecting the full breadth of disciplines across the creative landscape including over 40 independent agencies making their Jury debut this year.

Commenting on this year’s line-up, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “The Shortlisting Jury play a crucial role in the Awards. Their work in recognising groundbreaking creativity establishes the standard of excellence celebrated at the Festival. This year’s line-up brings together an exceptional cohort of talent from across a breadth of specialisms and markets. Their unique expertise will ensure the shortlist champions the innovative work driving the industry forward. Thank you to our Jurors for dedicating their time to curating the body of work that will set the global creative benchmark for the year ahead.”

See the full 2026 Shortlisting Jurors list.