Cannes Lions isn’t just about awards. It’s also about influence.
Simon Cook leads one of the most powerful platforms in global creativity. As CEO of Cannes Lions, he sits at the intersection of brands, culture and commercial impact, shaping how the industry celebrates its best work and confronts its biggest challenges.
In this episode of the Empower Podcast, Simon joins Louise and Kate for a candid conversation about leadership, responsibility and the role of the festival in driving meaningful change.

From Empower Café to building safer, more inclusive festival spaces, Simon shares how Cannes Lions is evolving.Not through side events or symbolic gestures, but as environments where honest dialogue can happen, perspectives and behaviours challenged, and new standards set.
This episode goes beyond the awards and the headlines. It’s about the culture behind the curtain, and the leadership required to make creativity not just celebrated, but responsible and accountable.