Barbara Humphries and Maurice Riley Appointed Jury Presidents For Spikes Asia 2026

Two Australians have been appointed as jury presidents for Spikes Asia 2026, with Barbara Humphries and Maurice Riley joining the region’s top creative and marketing leaders to oversee next year’s awards.

Barbara, chief creative officer, Droga5 ANZ (part of Accenture Song), will lead the digital craft, social and creator jury, while Maurice, chief data officer, Publicis Groupe Oceania, will preside over the creative data and innovation jury.

They join a distinguished group of jury presidents unveiled today as Spikes Asia, APAC’s most prestigious award for creativity and marketing effectiveness, announced the leaders who will shape the 2026 Awards.

Meeting in Singapore next March, this cross-regional line-up will guide their juries in benchmarking the very best creative and effective work across the region.

Among this year’s appointments, first-time representation from Pakistan marks a historic milestone, with Atiya Zaidi, CEO and chief creative officer of BBDO Pakistan, serving as jury president for design and industry craft.

Meanwhile, Salesforce’s Wendy Walker has been confirmed as the inaugural jury president for the new creative B2B Spikes category.

Wendy said, “I’m honoured to serve as inaugural jury president for the creative B2B Spikes. Having seen B2B creativity reach new heights at Cannes Lions this year, I’m thrilled to see the category come to APAC; a region defined by brave storytellers and visionary brands redefining how businesses connect, serve, and inspire.

"Together with the jury, we’ll seek work that’s brave in thought, grounded in real human insight, and demonstrates how creativity in B2B can drive both impact and progress. This is our moment to set a new benchmark for B2B creativity in Asia and help shape the future of the global conversation.”

Spikes Asia 2026 Jury Presidents

Audio and Radio, Film, Print and Publishing

• Reed Collins | chief creative officer, Ogilvy, APAC

Brand Experience and Activation, Creative Commerce

• Lisa Fedyszyn | chief creative officer, Special, Aotearoa New Zealand

Creative B2B

• Wendy Walker | VP and chief marketing officer, Salesforce, ASEAN

Creative Data, Innovation

• Maurice Riley | chief data officer, Publicis Groupe, Oceania (Australia and New Zealand)

Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy

• Shilpa Sinha | chief strategy officer, McCann Worldgroup, APAC

Design, Industry Craft

• Atiya Zaidi | CEO and chief creative officer, BBDO, Pakistan

Digital Craft, Social and Creator

• Barbara Humphries | chief creative officer, Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, ANZ

Direct, Outdoor

• Anupama Ramaswamy | managing director and chief creative officer, Havas Creative, India

Entertainment, Gaming, Music

• Britney Pai | head of entertainment, dentsu, Greater North Asia

Film Craft

• Wuthisak Anarnkaporn | film director and founder, Factory01, Thailand

Healthcare

• Rohini Miglani | former VP at P&G, Asia, Middle East, Africa and India

Media

• Josh Gallagher | chief strategy and growth officer, WPP Media, APMEA

PR

• Tomoko Tagami | founder and CEO, Synasia, Japan

About the jury presidents, Melanie Speet, director, Spikes Asia, said, “Every year, the jury presidents set the tone for the awards, and this line-up truly reflects the breadth, depth and diversity of creative leadership across APAC.

"From first-time representation for Pakistan to the introduction of the creative B2B Spikes, 2026 marks an important moment of evolution for the awards. We’re proud to welcome such an accomplished group of industry visionaries who will help define what world-class creative excellence looks like in the year ahead.”

Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, added, “Spikes Asia has always been a barometer for the region’s creative progress, and this year’s jury presidents embody the bold thinking and innovative spirit driving the industry forward. Their collective expertise across emerging disciplines, established craft, and data-driven creativity will ensure that the work awarded in 2026 continues to set the benchmark for creative effectiveness across APAC.”

Entries into Spikes Asia are being accepted until Thursday January 29th 2026.