Jury

Val is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Critical Mass. She’s known throughout the industry as an avid storyteller, with over 25 years of creative experience across design, product, AR/VR, film, brand strategy, marketing, retail innovation, gaming, AI, 3D content, and applications for some of the world’s biggest brands such as FOX Entertainment, James Cameron's Avatar, Diageo, Peloton, JPMorgan Chase, Coke, Microsoft, AT&T, BMW, Mars, Kraft, and Lululemon. Under Val’s leadership, Critical Mass has gained a reputation for combining big creative thinking with powerful digital innovation—all while delivering real results for modern brands. In the past year alone, we brought home three Cannes Lions and multiple Effie awards, and we were named a finalist for Campaign U.S.’s Agency of the Year (digital innovation category) for the third straight year. That, and much, much more. Prior to joining CM, Val was the Executive Creative Director for Wunderman Thompson California. Prior to WT, she was the Global CCO at Method Products. Before that, she was the ECD at EVB, leading work for the NBA, Facebook, and Twitter. She was also ECD, Global Innovation Lead at SapientNitro, where she led the Avatar digital ecosystem for James Cameron’s Lightstorm. Before jumping into digital, Val taught college-level graphic design at an engineering school. Her love for teaching has helped her mentor, advocate for, and lead women’s diversity and junior talent programs over the years.