2026 Virtual Coaches Comments
“Proud to be invited as a Creative LIAisons Mentor for the @lia_awards
Looking forward to meeting the next wave of global creative talent.”
Anthony Chelvanathan
Chief Creative Officer, Canada | Global Creative Partner
Edelman Canada
Toronto
“It’s invaluable for young people to gain access to some of the most brilliant minds in our business—and that too at an international level. Without LIAisons, that access would be very hard to come by. Having participated as a mentor in years past, I can also say that the creative exchange is mutually beneficial. The energy and fresh thinking I see from young creatives reminds me that our business is fun and that the work will always be better when the people creating it remain joyful and curious.”
Cinzia Crociani
Chief Creative Officer
LePub
Milan
“Our industry moves so fast and teaching has become a luxury nobody budgets for. Creative LIAisons makes the time.”
Linda Cronin
EVP Global Media
Monks
New York
“I am delighted to be back with LIA, this time as a coach. Following my time as Jury President for the inaugural Creativity in Media category, I’ve seen the immense power that comes from breaking down the silos between our disciplines. As someone with deep roots in media, I’m excited to show this year’s LIAisons how the fusion of media and creative can elevate a good idea into a global phenomenon.”
Marina Cuesta
Executive Creative Director
Independent, Consultant
Dallas
“I’m honored to have been selected as a coach for Creative LIAisons. Coaching has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It gives me a deep sense of purpose to help guide others in their professional journeys, but it’s never one-sided. Mentees bring back the excitement, curiosity, and drive that remind you why you started in the first place. It’s a relationship that feeds both ways, builds lasting connections, and ultimately helps create a stronger, more united industry. Creative LIAisons continues to champion and support that spirit of growth and community.”
Celeste Dalairac
ECD
Isla
Buenos Aires
“In a world that seems to have all the answers, it's great to connect with young people who are still eager to ask questions to humans. I'm honored to be able to share my experience with the next generation of creatives and learn from them along the way.”
Caleb Dewart
Managing Partner, Executive Producer
hungryman
Culver City
“I’m honored to be included again as a LIA creative LIAisons coach. It’s a gift to be able to connect with young creatives around the globe, to get their perspective and to share my own thoughts on the state of our industry and the future of creativity.”
Vanya Drakul
Partner/Sound Director/Composer
PIRATE SOUND
Toronto
Vanya Drakul: “I’m excited to share my insights and advice on sound in advertising with young creatives worldwide. I hope to inspire them to think of how to use sound differently and effectively.”
Sara Eid
Regional Creative Director
Serviceplan Arabia
Jeddah
“It’s priceless to support creatives from around the world, and always humbling to discover how much we share beneath our diversity.”
Favio “Favete” Encinas
Executive Creative Director & Founder
Rock and Roll Bolivia
Santa Cruz
“Being selected as a 2026 LIA Creative LIAisons Coach is both an honor and a responsibility. LIA represents one of the highest standards of creative excellence globally, and I’m proud to contribute to a program that actively develops the next generation of creative talent. It is also a true privilege to represent Bolivia among such an outstanding global group of creative leaders. As a Coach, my role is to guide, challenge, and strengthen ideas so they can move beyond execution and become work that truly impacts brands, culture, and business.”
Janath Gamage
Creative Director
Ogilvy Singapore & WPP - Unilever
Singapore
"Few programs in our industry play as vital a role in shaping the next generation. As a mentee at the LIAisons program, there was a pivotal moment in my own journey. The important guidance I received through this program from mentors I only would have dreamed of at that point, helped me see possibility again. Returning now as a coach is an absolute honor and a full-circle moment, and I only hope to support the next generation the way this program once supported me."
Sanika Gentles
Director of Enterprise Retention & Growth | Venedelux
How do you divine? Media
New York
“Being selected to coach for Creative LIAisons is an honor that truly moves me. My path in creativity isn’t traditional. I sit at the intersection of data and communication, bridging people and brands through a range of revenue channels; while simultaneously building something deeply meaningful. The How Do You Divine podcast has been rooted in one thing: authenticity.
What I bring to my mentees is the reminder that the data will always point back to you — your story, your design, your distinctiveness. Before we talk about art that impacts the world, we start with the artist. Because we were each uniquely designed to draw out the best light in one another, and when you build from that truth, the world doesn’t just receive your creativity. It needs it.”
Tetsuya Honda
CEO/PR Strategist
Honda Office
Singapore
“As a PR strategist, I’ve always believed creativity is about shaping narratives. In a time of uncertainty and accelerating AI, human mentoring and coaching matter more than ever. AI can generate answers, functions, and even beauty. But the role of creators is shifting. It’s less about simply making something interesting or beautiful, and more about creating new narratives and meaningful stories. The things that make us human — our failures, obsessions, and personal perspectives — are what truly fuel creativity. Excited to explore these ideas with the next generation of creatives through Creative LIAisons!”
Maiya Kinoshita
Creative Director
Media Arts Lab Tokyo
Tokyo
“Thank you for selecting me as a 2026 London International Awards Creative LIAisons Coach representing TBWA\Media Arts Lab Tokyo. My boss said that being selected as a coach means… I’m officially old. Just kidding, it’s truly an honor. I’m grateful to LIA for the chance to meet young creative minds at the forefront of our industry and hopefully help them blossom even further. Can’t wait!”
Florencia Loda
Executive Creative Director
draftLine AR
Buenos Aires
"It’s a real pleasure to be part of the Creative LIAisons coaching team. It’s a meaningful responsibility to support and inspire the next generation of creatives, and a great opportunity to share a bit of the spirit and perspective of Argentine creativity with them wherever they are."
Andy Mathurin
Creative Director
Heartbeat
New York
"I’m incredibly honored to join Creative LIAisons as a 2026 Coach. Mentorship has always been central to my leadership journey, and I believe creativity grows strongest when confidence and craft are nurtured together. I’m excited to support emerging talent globally and help shape the next generation of creative leaders.”
Len Mattea
Music Producer
MassiveMusic
London
"Beyond thrilled to ?be a ?coach at Creative LIAisons this year! ?After ?spending a few ?days in ?Las ?Vegas last ?September, judging ?some of the ?best work ?in ?the ?industry, ?I am SO ready to meet the ?next generation of ?makers."
I would have done anything to have a mentor, when I was younger and looking to get into the industry. I wasn’t only looking for a job: I was looking for guidance, stories, a word of wisdom and a hundred words of encouragement (god knows I needed it!). This is why I think mentorship programs are so important - and I am SO excited to be a mentor again, this time for the Creative LIAisons.
I met the lovely LIA team last year, when they invited me to be a juror for the Music & Sound awards in Vegas (???????????? incredible experience). This year I get to meet the next generation of creatives and therefore the award nominees of the future. I cannot promise words of wisdom (still need those myself), but I am excited to share my experience and passion for this craft with like-minded people, in the hopes to help them grow in this insane, beautiful industry.
Thanks for the trust LIA - London International Awards and for the support MassiveMusic. Let’s go!"
Thomas Mueller
Chief Design Officer
Accenture Song Europe
Munich
“I am delighted to return as LIAisons Creative coach once again in 2026. I strongly support LIA, because of their unique commitment to the next generations of creatives through their Creative LIAisons program. It is a wonderful platform to share from decades of experience, while at the same time receive reverse mentoring through the exchange. Simply rewarding and inspiring.”
Dino Myers-Lamptey
Founder
The Barber Shop (TBS)
London
Dino Myers-Lamptey is the Founder of The Barber Shop, a strategy-led creative company solving complex business problems for purpose-driven brands including Sky, Triumph, BFI and ExpressVPN. In 2025 he led the repositioning and rebrand of Sky Media and delivered international campaigns for ExpressVPN, alongside work for Oxfam and Zero Malaria. Dino sits on the MG OMD Leadership Advisory Board, is a board member of the UK Effies and the Marketing Society, and a Trustee of The Brixton Finishing School. He was recognized as a Campaign Top 10 Media Planner for the eighth time in 2025 and is also a Marketing Society Fellow, an industry 40 Over 40, a Campaign A-lister, was a LIA judge and a Cannes Lions judge.
Dino Myers-Lamptey
Founder
The Barber Shop (TBS)
London
Dino Myers-Lamptey is the Founder of The Barber Shop, a strategy-led creative company solving complex business problems for purpose-driven brands including Sky, Triumph, BFI and ExpressVPN. In 2025 he led the repositioning and rebrand of Sky Media and delivered international campaigns for ExpressVPN, alongside work for Oxfam and Zero Malaria. Dino sits on the MG OMD Leadership Advisory Board, is a board member of the UK Effies and the Marketing Society, and a Trustee of The Brixton Finishing School. He was recognized as a Campaign Top 10 Media Planner for the eighth time in 2025 and is also a Marketing Society Fellow, an industry 40 Over 40, a Campaign A-lister, was a LIA judge and a Cannes Lions judge.
Thamires Oliveira
Brand Strategist, Droga5
Founder, Margem estratégica
São Paulo
“I am completely flattered to be able to participate in such an important program where I can teach, but also learn with so many incredible young people. I hope it will be a beautiful journey.”
Chris Peacock
Creative Director
NoA Health
Copenhagen
“Absolutely thrilled to be part of this great initiative – getting the chance to connect with brilliant young talent from around the world and share what I’ve experienced during my own Ad land journey. I also can’t wait to learn from my mentees and hear what the future of advertising holds.”
Jyrki Poutanen
Chief Creative Officer
United Imaginations
Helsinki
“Creativity isn’t a destination you arrive at in your career. It’s a space you try to stay inside. Creative LIAisons brings together different generations of creatives who are still, and always, relentlessly exploring that space, and I’m very happy to once again be part of it.”
Scott Pugnetti
Founder & Directors Manager
equals mgmt
London
“LIA's one of the few organizations in advertising that genuinely cares about craft, and I'm glad to be part of it. I've spent 13 years repping directors, and the thing I keep coming back to with emerging creatives is that the talent is usually there. It's the business side that trips people up, how pitches actually get won, what people look for in a portfolio, how to put yourself in the right rooms. Being able to help talented creatives navigate the industry is at the foundation of equals mgmt and I’m thrilled to be a LIA coach!”
Lorena Pérez de León
Associate Creative Director
Ogilvy Mexico
Mexico City
“When I was part of the LIAisons program, I took with me a new way of understanding what makes an idea truly great. And that has lived in my work ever since. This year, I am incredibly proud to have been invited to be a Coach for the Creative Liaisons of LIA 2026. I couldn't feel more honored to help new creatives find that perspective that changes the way we build creativity.”
Mariana Reis
Associate Creative Director
TBWA\Chiat\Day
New York
“I was once a Creative LIAisons mentee, and it genuinely shaped my path. Coming back as a coach feels full circle. I’m excited to give back and help emerging creatives push their craft, build confidence, and navigate that pivotal moment when you start asking more of your work and of yourself.”
Fabio Ruffet
VP Brands & Content
Mars Snacking
London
“So much of my career has been shaped by people who supported and encouraged me along the way, and I’m very grateful for that. Being part of Creative LIAisons is a chance to pay that forward. The next generation of creatives will shape where our industry goes next, and programs like this create a valuable space to connect, exchange ideas and share experiences. I’m looking forward to meeting the talent coming through and hearing their perspectives.”
Ciro Sarmiento
Chief Creative Officer
First Rodeo
New York
"Having coached for Creative LIAisons before, I’ve seen the power of mentorship to shape young creatives’ paths. There’s so much talent out there, and we need it to help navigate an industry that’s become too complex. I’m excited to return this year to help the cohort push boundaries, knowing I’ll learn just as much from them as they do from me."
Andres Silva Bello
Associate Creative Director
R/GA
New York
"Being a coach for Creative LIAisons this year is an honor. I’m looking forward to sharing my journey, and excited to see what the new generation is up to. Diversity of thought is everything in this game, this is going to be a good one."
Cyp Stephenson
SVP, Creative Director / Creative Lead
RXMOSAIC
New York
“Mentorship is as much a privilege as a responsibility. The work LIA is doing through the Creative LIAisons program is helping to create space for the next wave of ideators, innovators, thought-provokers, believers, and leaders. It’s an honor to help nurture this next generation of creatives as they rise, and I can’t wait to share my passion for earned-first creativity, while being inspired by the future voices of our industry.”
Svetlana Stotskaya
Global Marketing & Brand Executive / Independent Consultant
Belarus
“Supporting talents through the Creative LIAisons Coaching program fuels my passion to empower rising stars to shine brighter. This program is the perfect platform to share my knowledge and fuel their success by coaching the next wave of creative powerhouses.”
Alexandra Taylor
Creative Consultant and Founder: The Art of Art Direction Masterclasses
London
“Passing the baton to the next generation of advertising creatives and sharing everything I’ve learned along the way is a real joy and privilege. Thank you, LIA. I can’t wait.”
Pablo Tesio
Creative Content Director
VML
Dubai
"Creative LIAisons was one of the most valuable experiences of my early career. It connected me with brilliant minds around the world and reminded me that creativity grows through generosity and exchange. Coming back now as a coach feels like closing a circle, and opening the door for the next generation to challenge, question, and push the craft forward."
Rey Tiempo
Chief Creative Officer
Co-Op Play
Manila
“The next few years will be very, very crucial for the future of our industry. This is why we need the Creative LIAisons program more than ever.
The mentees – the new generation of creative leaders who will be at the forefront when the “changing of the guard” happens (it’s happening as we speak) – are currently trying to make sense of a very complicated, increasingly ambiguous marketing landscape.
This is why it’s very, very important for them to be exposed to as many different perspectives as they can. The wider and more diverse the viewpoints they encounter, the more possibilities they can imagine, and the stronger the creative muscles they develop to weather the wave of challenges. After all, they are the ones who will take this industry forward.
This is why it’s very, very important for them to be exposed to as many different perspectives as they can. The wider and more diverse the viewpoints they encounter, the more possibilities they can imagine, and the stronger the creative muscles they develop to weather the wave of challenges. After all, they are the ones who will take this industry forward.
This is exactly where the Creative LIAisons program shines: in what I’ve always maintained is one of, if not the strongest young creatives programs in the industry. Nowhere else are the next generation given such unprecedented access to a host of unique perspectives from the industry’s top thinkers.
I’m immensely honored to continue playing a part in the program – as an onsite speaker, as a LIA juror, and as a virtual coach and mentor. And in every encounter, as the questions get more and more difficult (I welcome them!), I see the same thing: passion, curiosity, and a fire in the young, as they try to find relevance in a future industry they are already unconsciously building.
Here’s to our future leaders!”
Here’s to our future leaders!”
Jody Van Swearingen
SVP, Group Creative Director
AbelsonTaylor Group
Chicago
“Doing great work for brands in healthcare is incredibly exciting. But helping the next generation of creatives grow as confident leaders in this space is so much more rewarding.”
Maggie Yang
Managing Director, Zenith Media Taiwan
Chief Momentum Officer, Publicis Groupe Taiwan
Taipei
"It is a true privilege to serve as a 2026 Creative LIAisons Coach. In my daily work, my focus is always on transforming innovation into measurable success - moving 'from AI to ROI'. I am excited to bring this mindset to the academy, helping the next generation of creatives bridge the gap between groundbreaking ideas and real-world impact."
Brian Yessian
Partner/CCO
YESSIAN MUSIC
New York
"It’s an honor to be selected as a 2026 LIA Creative LIAisons Coach. I have valued the opportunity to mentor some of the brightest young minds in our industry through this program over the years. Connecting with this next generation of creative talent is just as rewarding as it is inspiring. They bring fresh energy, bold ideas, and new perspectives to our field. My goal is to help nurture that spark, sharpen their voice, and support their growth as they continue to rise and shape the future of the creative world."
Tone Aston
Founder / Senior Sound Designer
Rumble Studios
Sydney and Melbourne