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A regional return of the long-standing Cannes Lions leadership initiative, developed in collaboration with key partners, including Unilever, Nestlé, Emirates, Snap Inc, and Advertising Business Group, along with industry peers and platforms.
Applications are now open to women across the creative marketing industry, with submissions closing on 9th September 2026.
Dubai, UAE: Dubai Lynx, in collaboration with Middle East Communications Network (MCN) and its agencies, has announced the launch of See It Be It: Connects to the MENA region - a high-impact leadership programme designed to accelerate the careers of women across the creative, media and marketing industries into leadership roles. Delivered at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, See It Be It is a globally recognised initiative created to elevate and support women in the creative industry.
Taking place on 7th October 2026 during Dubai Lynx Creativity Week, the programme is designed around its core pillars of Confidence, Resilience & Adaptability, and Negotiation. See It Be It: Connects is designed to help build a stronger regional community of future female leaders - bringing together leading voices from across the industry to create meaningful connections, practical learning and long-term momentum, opening doors to global opportunities across borders and generations.
Since launching in 2014, the programme’s mission has been clear: to achieve equal gender representation of creative leaders globally. Over the last decade, See It Be It has grown into a worldwide community of 150+ creatives, with an impact that continues long after the programme ends. 75% of alumni are promoted within 12 months, while 63% now operate at Creative Director level or above.
Through this regional edition, MCN and its agencies, in collaboration with key partners including Unilever, Nestlé, Snap Inc., Emirates, and Advertising Business Group, is convening a cross-industry community of multinational, influential brands, platforms and industry leaders to help shape a more connected, representative and future-ready creative ecosystem across MENA.
Priya Sarma, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Head, Unilever B&W GCC, Turkey, Pakistan & Bangladesh commented: “Advancing women into leadership isn’t just a DE&I priority - it’s a business imperative. When women lead, industries and companies gain access to a wider spectrum of ideas, consumer insight, and decision‑making that fuels innovation. Companies with gender‑balanced leadership outperform because they reflect the communities and consumers they serve. Elevating women isn’t only the right thing to do - it’s the key to unlocking the next frontier of growth and competitiveness.”
Lizzie Dewhurst, Chief Communications Officer, MCN - part of Omnicom, said: “Across MCN and our family agencies, diversity, equity and inclusion are central to how we grow our business and that of our clients. See It Be It Connects: MENA is critical to accelerating more women into leadership roles and nurturing their progression. By investing in high-potential talent today, we are helping shape a more representative, resilient and future-ready creative industry for the region.”
Kamille Marchant, Director, Dubai Lynx added: “Dubai Lynx exists to champion creative excellence across MENA and that excellence must be representative of the industry it serves. With research from the Creative Equals showing that less than 30% of Creative Directors are women, regional touchpoints like See It Be It Connects: MENA is important in driving real change. This initiative is about elevating women shaping the industry and strengthening the creative ecosystem as a whole.”
Eleni Kitra, CEO & Executive Director, Advertising Business Group said: “Advancing female leadership requires collective action. As the region’s industry platform, ABG supports initiatives that strengthen the pipeline and drive long-term progress.”
The programme will feature a curated agenda of conversations exploring the realities of leadership in today’s creative industries - from ambition, confidence and burnout to resilience, negotiation and career progression. Bringing together alumni, senior leaders, brand partners and cross-generational voices, the programme will unpack how definitions of success, power and identity are shifting across workplaces and markets. Sessions will also examine cultural intelligence as a leadership strength, what inclusive leadership looks like in practice, and how allyship can move from intent to action.
Applications are now open for See It Be It: Connects, inviting women across the creative marketing industry with a minimum of five years’ experience to apply. The programme will be delivered in English, with participants required to be based in - or able to travel to Dubai.
To learn more, visit www.dubailynx.com/talent-and-training/see-it-be-it-connects-mena
To apply, visit: See It Be It 2026
For media and PR inquiries, please reach out to:
Roksar Kamal, Senior PR Manager
Email: roksar.kamal@mcnmena.com
About Dubai Lynx
Dubai Lynx is MENA’s leading Awards for creative excellence and effectiveness, in the Middle East and North Africa. Presented by Informa, organisers of Cannes Lions, together with their regional partners, Motivate Media Group, the Dubai Lynx, is held in association with the UAE Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) and with the support of Dubai Media City (DMC). The Awards serve as the definitive benchmark for creative excellence, marketing strategy and effectiveness in MENA.
About LIONS
LIONS is the global platform that champions creativity and marketing effectiveness for growth. We help businesses grow through creative marketing that matters.We know that creativity can and should be applied across the full marketing mix. Creativity is an impactful business driver - and when it's integrated with a culture of effectiveness, it's a competitive advantage.Backed by over 150 years of experience and evidence, Cannes Lions, WARC, Effie, Contagious and Acuity - provides the global marketing industry with the definitive benchmarks, intelligence, training and tailored advice needed to grow.
LIONS is part of Informa PLC.
About MCN
MCN (Middle East Communications Network), part of Omnicom, is a leading advertising and marketing communications group in the MENAT region, partnering with clients to build enduring brands. MCN’s multi-discipline agencies span creative, media, digital, PR, data, brand experience, and specialist marketing, and include globally renowned agency brands: FP7McCANN, MullenLowe MENA, UM, Magna, Initiative, ACXIOM, MRM, McCann Health, Momentum MCANN, Craft, Weber Shandwick, Jack Morton, Octagon, and Current Global.
With approximately 2,000 employees across 11 markets, MCN is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where talent can thrive, earning recognition as a Great Place to Work for four consecutive years (2023–2026), being named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024-2025, and winning Best Place to Work 2024 by Campaign Middle East.
Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram. For more information about MCN and our leading agencies, please visit www.mcnholding.com
About ABG
The Advertising Business Group (ABG) is the region’s industry-first, brand-centric platform representing advertisers and the wider marketing ecosystem across the Middle East. Operating under Dubai Chambers, ABG brings together brands, agencies, media and platforms to drive responsible, effective and future-ready marketing, while shaping industry standards through collaboration, thought leadership and cross-market initiatives.
