Brussels, 27 May 2026: The European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) and Effie Awards Europe have revealed a top-tier line-up of marketing leaders joining the Grand Jury for the 2026 Effie Awards Europe. This elite panel will decide the Grand Effie Winner - the ultimate benchmark of marketing effectiveness, awarded to the most effective marketing campaign of the year.
The 2026 Grand Jury brings together leading voices from across the industry. Their mission: to assess the year’s most impactful work and select the campaign that best exemplifies strategic brilliance, creative excellence, and proven results. The session will be moderated by Jonnie Cahill, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer - International Foods at PepsiCo.
Jonnie joined PepsiCo in April 2025, bringing over two decades of transformational leadership in marketing, brand management, innovation, and business growth across the consumer packaged goods and beverage industries.
“In today’s landscape, the most powerful marketing is equal parts creativity, strategy, and measurable impact. Great campaigns create connection, drive growth, and move culture forward. The Effie Awards Europe continue to spotlight the work raising the bar for effectiveness across our industry, and I’m thrilled to join this exceptional jury in recognizing the campaigns shaping the future of marketing in Europe,” said Jonnie Cahill, CMO International Foods, PepsiCo.
The 2026 Effie Awards Europe Grand Jury members are:
- Bob Markham, President of Accenture Song for EMEA, Accenture Song
- Caio Franchi, Executive Creative Lead, Google BeNeLux
- Demet İkiler, EMEA CEO, Publicis Groupe
- Giorgos Vareloglou, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, REBORRN
- Hadi Zabad, Chief Strategy Officer, Ogilvy EMEA
- Hannah French , Chief Marketing Officer EMEA, Kenvue
- Johannes Seidl, Head of Partnerships, Red Bull
- Julien Barraux, Chief Creative Officer, The Magnum Ice Cream Company
- Karen Ehrlich, Vice President & General Manager, The Estée Lauder
- Larni Kollander, H&M Global Head of Creative Strategy, H&M
- Melanie Brinbaum, Europe CMO, Nestlé
- Meredith Kelly, Global CMO, Škoda
- Miriam Plon Sauer, Global Chief Strategy Officer, AKQA
- Nichola Mullen , Director of Development, FAI Ireland Foundation
- Patricia McDonald, Global CSO, Dentsu
- Sandeep Grewal, EVP, Global Strategy, Havas Media Network
- Susan Kingston-Brown, Global Brand President, UM
- Tina Rolén, CMO, Fjällräven
- Ulrich Klenke, Chief Brand Officer, Deutsche Telekom
- Vera Sidlova, Global Creative Thought Leadership Director, Kantar
- Wojciech Borowski, CEO, McCANN
The jury will meet on 3 December in Brussels, ahead of the EACA/Effie conference and Awards Gala, where the Grand Effie announcement will be the pinnacle of the show. Check out the full jury list & profiles.
The Call for Entries officially opens on 3 June, inviting the industry to submit the work that defines effectiveness today. For more information on the call for entries, please visit effie-europe.com.
The Effie Awards Europe are organised by the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) in partnership with Kantar (Strategic Insights Partner), Google (Programme Partner), REBORRN (Content Partner), ACT Responsible and the Ad Net Zero
For further information, please contact Kasia Gluszak, Project Manager, at kasia.gluszak@eaca.eu.
