2026 Virtual Coaches
Thomas Hongtack Kim
CCO
Paulus
Seoul
Thomas Hongtack Kim is a visionary Creative Solutionist, founder of 2kg Creative Solution Lab, and Chief Creative Officer at Paulus, a global creative agency. He also serves on the International Board of Directors of The One Club for Creativity, the Collective Advisory Board of ADFEST, and the Global Advisory Board of 4A China. Previously, he was Executive Creative Director of the Creative Innovation Group at Cheil Worldwide. Having worked in Seoul, New York, Beijing, and Shanghai, Thomas has partnered with a wide range of clients across diverse markets.
He specializes in designing digital, social, and CSR platforms that transform ideas into practical, real-world solutions. His work focuses on addressing environmental and social challenges through close collaboration with UN organizations, NGOs, corporations, and universities.Through this expertise, he has served as a judge and mentor for the Cannes Chimera, an initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Cannes Lions. He has also served as Jury President of the SDG Pencil, created by the United Nations and The One Show, as well as a jury member for the SDG category at Cannes Lions. In addition, he is a pioneer in blockchain-driven mutual aid, collaborating with corporations and media companies to build scalable, impact-driven systems.
Building on these experiences, he authored Brand Activism, which explores how brands can address social issues while simultaneously enhancing brand value. He also wrote Digital Playground, which examines how solutions can function as experiential platforms that deepen consumer engagement in the social media era.
Thomas has received numerous international awards and has served as a judge and speaker at major creative festivals, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, D&AD, LIA, Clio, New York Festivals, Spikes Asia, ADFEST, and the iF Design Awards, among others. Campaign Asia-Pacific named him Creator of the Year, and he was ranked among the Top 10 Executive Creative Directors worldwide by the Directory Big Won Rankings.
He specializes in designing digital, social, and CSR platforms that transform ideas into practical, real-world solutions. His work focuses on addressing environmental and social challenges through close collaboration with UN organizations, NGOs, corporations, and universities.Through this expertise, he has served as a judge and mentor for the Cannes Chimera, an initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Cannes Lions. He has also served as Jury President of the SDG Pencil, created by the United Nations and The One Show, as well as a jury member for the SDG category at Cannes Lions. In addition, he is a pioneer in blockchain-driven mutual aid, collaborating with corporations and media companies to build scalable, impact-driven systems.
Building on these experiences, he authored Brand Activism, which explores how brands can address social issues while simultaneously enhancing brand value. He also wrote Digital Playground, which examines how solutions can function as experiential platforms that deepen consumer engagement in the social media era.
Thomas has received numerous international awards and has served as a judge and speaker at major creative festivals, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, D&AD, LIA, Clio, New York Festivals, Spikes Asia, ADFEST, and the iF Design Awards, among others. Campaign Asia-Pacific named him Creator of the Year, and he was ranked among the Top 10 Executive Creative Directors worldwide by the Directory Big Won Rankings.