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Speakers

AEO Conference 2026

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Simon Cook - LIONS

Simon Cook

CEO, LIONS

Simon is the CEO of LIONS, the global organisation behind WARC, Effie, Contagious, and the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. 

Following a career in advertising, he joined LIONS more than a decade ago and held several key roles before stepping into the CEO position in 2019. His leadership has been pivotal in transforming LIONS into a year-round global platform that inspires and equips the global marketing industry with the tools they need to produce consistently creative marketing that builds business, shapes society, and has long-lasting impact. 


A champion for creativity's transformative power, Simon has expanded LIONS' offerings and solidified its reputation as the global destination and benchmark for creative excellence and effectiveness . In 2018, he founded the Global CMO Growth Council, uniting the world's leading Chief Marketing Officers to remove barriers to international growth - with creativity as a driving force. 


Simon's deep understanding of the creative marketing ecosystem, coupled with his ability to navigate its complexities, has earned him recognition as a respected thought leader and trusted voice in the industry. Based on his work at LIONS, Simon is a passionate advocate for initiatives that promote equality, inclusion, and opportunities for the creative community to thrive. 

Sessions

Testimonials

  • The AEO Conference is an important forum because it brings together change makers in the event industry, I'm also looking forward to networking with some great people as well.
    Raphael Sofoluke
    Founder & CEO, UK Black Business Show
  • The AEO Conference has always been a really important forum, it talks about some of the kind of key topics and trends and certainly as I've sort of developed throughout my career it's always topics around mergers and acquisitions or where the industry is going or the pivot to digital it's always given us really good talking points and things to think about.
    Duncan Reid
    CEO & Co-Founder, Reset Connect
  • The conference was a fantastic experience, truly living up to its theme 'Motivate. Innovate. Create.' The speakers were highly engaging and entertaining, offering invaluable insights into key industry topics. Well done, Team AEO!
    Ian Kidson
    Harrogate Convention Centre

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