Cannes Lions Advisory Board 2023

Sabaa Quao is the Chief Creative and Innovation Officer at Cossette. He is a creative leader, career entrepreneur, and business strategist. As a digital media veteran, he has built and grown several platforms and companies across content, tech, and culture spaces. Sabaa believes that the “innovation” mandate is as urgent today as it was for agencies and creative professionals who faced the start of the digital era 25 years ago.

Sabaa is passionate about creativity and international business. He has led and worked with marketing and technology teams in over a dozen countries, which has enriched his perspective and approach. He is also a frequent keynote speaker and an industry advisor to business and creative schools, specializing in creativity, entrepreneurship, and business model innovation.

Bianca Freedman is Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Edelman Canada, where she assumes responsibility for key client relationships and leads Edelman’s major initiatives in the region, cultivating a culture of collaboration, innovation, and transparency across five offices with more than 280 employees. Bianca’s promotion to CEO of Edelman Canada in 2022 reflects her exceptional leadership abilities and relentless pursuit of excellence in communications marketing.

Bianca has played an instrumental role in establishing Edelman as a leading firm in Canada. Prior to her position as CEO, Biancaheld positions as Chief Operating Officer (COO), Edelman Canada, General Manager, Edelman Calgary, and Vice President, Toronto Corporate Practice. Throughout this time, Bianca has worked with high-profile clients to transform the way they show up for employees, customers, and shareholders to achieve outstanding results. With Bianca’s guidance as COO and then CEO, Edelman Canada continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the Edelman network, reporting record results in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

In her first year as CEO, Edelman Canada was recognized on the 2023 Best Workplaces in Canada, Best Workplaces Managed by Women, and Best Workplace for Women lists by Great Place to Work. Edelman was also ranked fourth in the country for Cannes wins in 2024 and as well as numerous other global creative accolades.

Driven by her desire to help foster a more diverse, equitable and inclusive talent pool in the industry, Bianca sits on Humber PR’s Advisory Board and is a mentor to youth focused organizations dedicated to removing barriers to entering the workforce and accelerating high potential talent.

Prior to joining Edelman in 2013, Bianca helped innovate communications at Walmart, holding key roles across internal communications, marketing and ecommerce – both in Canada and in The San Francisco Bay area with Walmart’s global e-commerce group.​

Penny Hicks is a highly accomplished executive with a proven track record of driving business growth and building strong client relationships in the media industry. As the Managing Director of Client Partnerships and Commercial Operations at the Globe and Mail, she leads the company’s advertising sales division and is responsible for developing and executing strategies to drive revenue growth across all platforms.

Throughout her career, Penny has held several senior leadership positions at some of Canada’s most iconic media brands. As Publisher of Maclean’s, she oversaw the business operations of the country’s leading news magazine, and as Group Publisher of Chatelaine and Today’s Parent, she led the development and execution of strategies to drive revenue growth across multiple platforms, including print, digital, and events.

Penny is known for her passion for the media industry and her ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with clients and partners. She is a results-driven leader who prioritizes innovation, creativity, and teamwork.

Penny Hicks is a distinguished graduate of McGill University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and served as Associate Editor of the Interdisciplinary Journal of the Arts. She is a passionate advocate for journalism and democracy, as well as a variety of causes including arts and culture, education, the environment, and human rights.

In 2004, my friends and I founded the Quebec City office of lg2. Since then, we’ve created a fun place to find great ideas. I’ve led my teams on many projects recognized on the national and international scene like Cannes, D&AD, London Internationals, One Show and Clios. I’ve also been lucky enough to sit on numerous amazing juries including Cannes, the One Show and the Clios.

I fell in love with creativity at 4 years old, when my dad brought home a storyboard for a TV spot. That passion continued to grow at Cossette where I worked on General motors, pharma accounts and Mc Donald’s. Now, I’m leading a group of many different talents who are brilliantly solving all sorts of problems for the Société de l’assurance automobile du Quebec, Farnham Ale & Lager, Krispy Kernels, Exceldor, Bonduelle, the Quebec government and the Quebec dairy board.

I’ve always been proud to contribute to the success of lg2, which is now the largest independent agency in Canada.

But more importantly, I will continue to create the way I always have – with the heart of a 4-year-old.

Susan Irving is an industry leader with a passion for brands and a reputation for delivering business results through strategic integrated marketing campaigns. Now, as Chief Marketing Officer for Kruger Products L.P., Susan is responsible for leading the marketing team to set the vision, strategic direction, and drive business performance for all Kruger Products brands and marketing activities in Canada and the United States. She is also a key member of the Company’s Executive Team.
Susan is an accomplished, award-winning senior marketing executive with over two decades of experience leading many successful and well-known brands at Warner Lambert, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. She has a strong passion for brands and building high performance teams. She is a strategic business leader with experience that spans across all aspects of business management and consumer marketing including brand strategy; advertising and communications; P&L management; media planning; digital; social media; innovation; consumer insights; as well as sports and event marketing. Most recently at PepsiCo Foods Canada, Susan was the Senior Marketing Director for the Quaker Nutrition portfolio. During her 15 years at PepsiCo, she held several progressive roles including leadership of a Global Snacks team in New York where she was responsible for Doritos, Cheetos and Sunbites – three of the company’s billion dollar brands. Prior to that, Susan spent more than a decade at PepsiCo Canada leading teams of passionate marketers in creating successful campaigns that drove profitable growth for brands including Cheetos, Doritos, Lay’s, Ruffles and Tostitos. Susan is known for her collaborative approach of working with teams to deliver breakthrough, insight-driven consumer campaigns and programs that deliver growth.
As an accomplished marketer, Susan has been recognized with several industry accolades including CMAs, Cassies, Cannes Lions, Effies, The Bessies, Clios, Media Innovation Awards and Canadian New Media Awards. She was also among Marketing Magazine’s prestigious Top 30 under 30, Canada’s Strategy Magazine 2020 Marketer of the Year, the Canadian Marketing Association 2021 Marketer of the Year and Canada Grocer’s 2022 Senior Star Women.
An avid sailor, Susan was a member of the Canadian Sailing Team, having campaigned for the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. She was the President of the Leaside Hockey Association Board of Directors where she severed for seven years; the Jury Chair for the Globe and Mail’s Cannes Young Marketers Competition; a judge for several industry award shows; a key note speaker for North American Conferences and a committee member of WISE Canada (Women in Sport and Entertainment). She is also a member of the Canadian Women and Sport Board of Directors and The Ontario Hockey Federation Board of Directors.
When Susan takes a break from Marketing, you can find her on a sail boat or a ski hill. As a busy mother of two young boys, you’ll also find her in hockey rinks, at road races and on the soccer field supporting their family’s passion of competitive sport.

Andrew Saunders, recently appointed as President and CEO of The Globe and Mail, is a seasoned business leader with over two decades of experience in the Canadian media industry. His extensive background spans various domains, including business development, advertising, communications, strategic planning, technology, audience development, and general management. Andrew brings a wealth of expertise to his role, where he is responsible for leading the overall strategy and direction of The Globe and Mail.

Prior to assuming his current role, Andrew held the position of Chief Revenue Officer at The Globe and Mail, where he successfully led the monetization strategy for the organization’s diverse portfolio, including the national newspaper, Canada’s premier business magazine, custom publishing, digital advertising networks, and more. His leadership extended to digital distribution channels, events, and conferences, all while delivering business value through advertising and subscription models.

Before joining The Globe and Mail in 2001, Andrew served as the Vice President of Local, Regional, and Business Development at CTV, one of Canada’s largest private broadcasters. His illustrious career at CTV began in 1992, and he held various senior positions, including Vice President of Sales at Report on Business Television and Vice President of Revenue Management at CTV.

Andrew is an active participant in the marketing and advertising community, having contributed his expertise to various industry boards and associations. He is the past chair and current board member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IAB), board member of Canadian Press and WAN/IFRA, and chair of the Canadian Cannes Advisory Board.

As President and CEO, Andrew spearheads The Globe and Mail’s strategic vision, fostering a consultative and customer-centric approach to drive value for both readers and shareholders. Under his guidance, The Globe and Mail remains an essential source of news and information for millions of Canadians, providing comprehensive coverage of national, international, and business news—both in print since 1844 and digitally since 2000.

Sonia Carreno is the acting President of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada – the only trade association dedicated to the responsible growth of the digital advertising industry in Canada. With a career spanning almost 25 years, Sonia is a true digital veteran who has deep industry experience covering virtually every angle of the digital marketing sector.

From pioneering the digital media planning landscape in the early days at Modem Media (one of the first international consultancies to enter the digital marketing space) to founding DAC Group Digital (a worldwide leading agency that found its roots in search and content services), Sonia leverages her global citizenship to maintain a sharp leading edge pushing the envelope of digital capabilities to drive results. Since 1997, Sonia’s work at award top international agencies has focused on building award-winning strategy for global Fortune 500 brands such as Coca-Cola, Gillette, Heineken, and General Motors just to name a few.

Sonia’s recent induction into Canada’s Marketing, Advertising, PR, and Communications Hall of Fame is just one of the many awards she has collected recognizing her efforts in bringing the Canadian marketing and advertising industry into the digital age. Leading the strategy on the AutocorrectHer campaign for IAB Canada recently brought home two gold medals for work supporting gender equality in the Canadian marketplace.

An active member of the advertising community, Sonia currently holds positions on the board of the Cannes Lions Advisory as well as AdStandards. She is a recent graduate of the Amsterdam THNK School of Creative Leadership and is deeply committed to the success of the industry with a focus on ethical and responsible practices to build a sustainable future. She has a passion for delivering smart, creative business solutions with a keen eye for good.

In her personal time, Sonia has taught yoga and meditation for over 15 years and is trained in holistic nutrition and addiction recovery counselling. She is a passionate world traveller, a mother of two active teens, and is fluent in English, Spanish, and German.

Mary Maddever is SVP, editorial director of Brunico Communications, overseeing journalistic policy and procedures for the company’s editorial brands, and publisher of strategy.

Maddever has led content strategy and new product development on many Brunico brands and recruited and trained teams for launches and refreshes, including Brunico’s first daily e-news/site Media In Canada, and stimulant, a creative-focused offshoot of the strategy brand’s ad and marketing universe. She has also developed event and awards franchises, and recognition and mentoring programs.

Prior to leading the strategy rebrand, Maddever was editor of RealScreen, an international non-fiction brand; she developed the original editorial launch plan and oversaw a content focus redirect as the business evolved.

Maddever’s background includes four years as editor of international kids entertainment biz magazine KidScreen, where she was mandated to raise brand authority in top-tier global production and broadcast circles, and across ancillary areas of the industry.

Prior to that, Maddever was editor of Playback, Canada’s bi-weekly TV & film industry journal, and its subsidiary magazine offshoots, such as Playback International.

The break-neck pace of change in technology and media consumption has outpaced how marketers plan their communications.  As CEO of OMD Canada, Cathy Collier is at the helm of Canada’s largest and most successful media organization. OMD combines innovation, creativity, empathy, and evidence to make “Better decisions, faster” on behalf of their incredible roster of clients. Under Cathy’s leadership, OMD is transforming into a new type of communication agency.   OMD has developed the most sophisticated media data and technology platform in the Canadian market which is complemented by their people 1^st planning process.  By putting a deep focus on reaching people and not just screens, OMD is putting out the most effective and powerful campaigns in its successful history.

Cathy is active in advancing the Canadian media industry. She is Board Chair of Numeris, Chairs the Canadian Young Media Lions competition and has judged many awards shows including twice Co-chairing the Media Innovation Awards and twice judged the Cannes Media Lions festival. Cathy also sits on the Canada Cannes board helping to inspire the Canadian media community to be recognized on a global stage.

Karen Howe is a globally recognized Creative Director, former Cannes Judge, and keynote speaker who decodes behind-the-scenes intel from Cannes. Her unique insights inspire organizations attain their full potential through creativity.