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LA Times Studios, in partnership with .monks, brought a creative series of discussions to this year’s Cannes Lions, specifically about how AI-driven orchestration is affecting brands in a rapidly shifting economy – shaping efficiency, transparency and awareness in every facet of the story, from ideation to delivery.

Our event took place at Les Monks Cafe at 5 Sq. Mérimée (right across from the Palais) from June 16 through the 20. Several thought-provoking panels brought together thought leaders on branding, fusion, transparency and more.

See below for panel details and recaps.

MONKS | LA TIMES STUDIOS @ CANNES LIONS SCHEDULE

MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2025

BRAND IS BACK: BRAND STORYTELLING & CONSUMER IMPACT

5:30 – 6:15 P.M. CEST

A compelling conversation on the power of brands to move audiences responsibly and shape culture. Hear directly from industry leaders as they share how they are not only reaching audiences, but also influencing cultural conversations through the strength of their brand presence. Take a behind-the-scenes look into top brands build narratives that connect with consumers on a deeper level, along with actionable takeaways for content marketing that drives real-world impact.

Watch Full Panel Here

Photo of Ziad Ahmed

Speaker

Ziad Ahmed

Head of Next Gen at UTA

Photo of Adam Faze

Speaker

Adam Faze

Co-founder of Gymnasium

Photo of Amy Powell

Speaker

Amy Powell

President at VICE Studios

Photo of Lauren Wood/Yogi Tea

Speaker

Lauren Wood

President of The Yogi Foundation

Photo of Anna Magzanyan

Moderator

Anna Magzanyan

President, LA Times Studios

FUSION IS THE NEW F WORD: HOTAF – FIRESIDE CHAT WITH COMMONWEALTH FUSION SYSTEMS

6:15 – 6:45 P.M. CEST

Get an inside look at how Commonwealth Fusion Systems is shaking up the energy conversation. In this dynamic fireside chat, CMO Joe Paluska and Creative Director Jennine Willett sit down with Kristen Berke, VP, Entertainment and Branded Content Partnerships at LA Times Studios, revealing the bold strategies behind making fusion energy relevant and accessible to consumer audiences. Discover how creativity and storytelling are helping to rebrand a complex technology, spark public interest and position fusion as the “hottest” topic in clean energy. Be inspired by the ways disruptive marketing can ignite curiosity and drive real change.

Watch Full Panel Here

Photo of Joe Paluska

Speaker

Joe Paluska

Chief Marketing Officer at Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Photo of Jennine Willett

Speaker

Jennine Willett

Creative Director at Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Photo of Kristen Berke

Moderator

Kristen Berke

VP, Entertainment and Branded Content Partnerships, LA Times Studios

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2025

THE FUTURE OF CREATIVITY & AI: A FIRESIDE WITH SIR MARTIN SORRELL & will.i.am

10:45 – 11:15 A.M. CEST

This compelling conversation speaks to how brands and leaders can harness AI to move audiences and shape culture. Discover how industry pioneers are redefining collaboration and innovation at the intersection of imagination and technology. From democratizing knowledge to transforming global culture, learn how these trailblazers are shaping the future of human creativity. This is your front-row seat to a visionary dialogue on the power of AI, and the next frontier of influence.

Photo of will.i.am

Speaker

will.i.am

Founder & CEO of FYI.AI

Photo of Sir Martin Sorrell

Speaker

Sir Martin Sorrell

Executive Chairman of S4 Capital

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: THE REAL ROI OF MEDIA TRANSPARENCY IN THE ERA OF AI

5:30 – 6:00 P.M. CEST

Today’s CMOs need a Bloomberg Terminal for their brand content: real-time, always-on and fully transparent. This session explores why media transparency isn’t a nice-to-have but a business imperative, and how true performance visibility starts with end-to-end collaboration between brands and platforms. We unpack what it takes to build a content intelligence loop that gives marketing leaders the same clarity on their campaigns that CFOs have on their portfolios. Because in 2025, if you can’t see your content ROI by the hour, you’re already behind.

Photo of Millie Chu, Sr. Director of Media Analytics at T-Mobile.

Speaker

Millie Chu

Sr. Director of Media Analytics at T-Mobile

Photo of Jay Pattisall, VP of Principal Analyst at Forrester.

Speaker

Jay Pattisall

VP of Principal Analyst at Forrester

Photo of Meredith Zhang, Measurement Partner at TikTok.

Speaker

Meredith Zhang

Measurement Partner at TikTok

Moderator

Linda Cronin

EVP, Global Head of Media at Monks

FUTURE-PROOF OR FALL BEHIND: THE AI INVESTMENTS THAT BUILD RESILIENT BRANDS

6:00 – 6:30 P.M. CEST

Smart technology investments are crucial for ensuring business resilience and growth, especially in uncertain times. This panel explores how forward-thinking companies leverage AI-driven solutions, such as generative AI for content creation and performance optimization, to unlock efficiencies and reduce costs. Participants address how strategic allocation of budgets that focus on high-ROI initiatives, like cloud and AI transformation, empowers brands to build resilience and extend competitive advantages. AWS, Monks, NVIDIA, and more help uncover how integrating cutting-edge technology and agile methodologies can drive sustained growth in challenging economic times.

Jamie Allan, Director, AdTech & Digital Marketing Industries at NVIDIA

Speaker

Jamie Allan

Director, AdTech & Digital Marketing Industries at NVIDIA

Monks Headshots

Speaker

Matt Carter

Head of Industry at AWS

Photo of Christian Fraser

Speaker

Christian Fraser

Broadcaster and Writer at BBC

Monks Headshots

Speaker

Bobby Mohr

Vice President of Revenue at Twelve Labs

Photo of Lewis Smithingham

Moderator

Lewis Smithingham

SVP of Strategic Industries at Monks

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025

PLAYING IN PERFECT SYNC: ORCHESTRATING AI AND CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE

5:30 – 6:00 P.M. CEST

As marketers face mounting pressure to deliver high-quality, consistent content at speed and scale across a fragmented digital landscape, experts from Monks, NVIDIA, and AWS joined together on stage to discuss how orchestration partnerships are transforming marketing operations by consolidating the content supply chain through AI-driven innovation and platforms like Monks.Flow. The panel highlights how collaboration among these industry leaders is empowering brands to deliver exceptional customer experiences while upholding brand integrity. Watch to get an exclusive preview of new Winterberry Group research on the measurable value of creative investment in today’s era of personalization and media complexity, further demonstrating how orchestration unlocks the full potential of creative intelligence. Explore how the seamless integration of talent, technology and creativity is setting new benchmarks for marketing efficiency.

Watch Full Panel Here

Dave Carey, Global EVP Studio & Embedded Solutions at Monks

Speaker

Dave Carey

Global EVP Studio & Embedded Solutions at Monks

Matt Groshong, Business Development Director, AdTech & MarTech at NVIDIA

Speaker

Matt Groshong

Business Development Director, AdTech & MarTech at NVIDIA

Victoria Milo, SVP, Media Solutions & Emerging Technology at Monks

Speaker

Victoria Milo

SVP, Media Solutions & Emerging Technology at Monks

Jon Williams, Global Head of Agency Partner Development at AWS

Speaker

Jon Williams

Global Head of Agency Partner Development at AWS

Photo of Bruce Biegel

Moderator

Bruce Biegel

Senior Managing Partner at Winterberry Group

WHERE CREATIVITY MEETS AUTOMATION: AI AND THE FUTURE OF MARKETING WORKFLOWS

6:00 – 6:30 P.M. CEST

In this session, explore how the evolving relationship between creativity and AI-driven automation is transforming marketing workflows. Here, panelists discuss the symbiosis among foundational creative workflows, generative AI and AI-powered agents to create a more intelligent, responsive marketing ecosystem. Understanding how to successfully activate AI-powered content production and AI agents together empowers creatives and marketers to accelerate innovation, deliver highly personalized experiences, and unlock new levels of creativity. Explore how the intersection of creativity and AI is redefining marketing strategies and shaping a more dynamic, collaborative future.

Watch Full Panel Here

Photo of Hannah Elsakr

Speaker

Hannah Elsakr

Intrapreneur, GenAI at Adobe

Olga Mykhaylenko, SVP Operations at Monks

Speaker

Olga Mykhaylenko

SVP Operations at Monks

Pat Murphy, Founder and CEO at MurphyCobb

Speaker

Pat Murphy

Founder and CEO at MurphyCobb

Tanya Bogin, EVP, Global Head of Studio at Monks

Moderator

Tanya Bogin

EVP, Global Head of Studio at Monks

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025

TIMELESS, NOT STATIC: EVOLVING BRAND IDENTITY WITH PURPOSE

5:30 – 6:00 P.M. CEST

Staying true to your core doesn’t mean standing still. Unpack the blueprint for maintaining relevance and evolving as an organization without sacrificing authenticity. Industry leaders explore how they are refreshing their brand identities – not through reinvention, but through intentional, values-driven evolution. The discussion was moderated by the President of LA Times Studios, Anna Magzanyan.

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Speaker

Robert Nathan Fried

Chief Executive Officer of Niagen Bioscience

Photo of Brendan Ripp, CEO of Pushly

Speaker

Brendan Ripp

Chief Executive Officer of Pushly

Meridith Rojas, CMO, VidaCorp North America

Speaker

Meridith Rojas

Chief Marketing Officer of VidaCorp North America

DIGITAL ALCHEMY: TRANSFORMING EXPERIENCES THROUGH AI

6:00 – 6:30 P.M. CEST

As the pace of innovation accelerates, leading companies are no longer just adapting to emerging technologies – they’re boldly harnessing them to unlock new levels of empowerment for employees, deepen client engagement, and elevate experiences. In this forward-looking conversation, we explore how AI and next-generation tools are reshaping the very architecture of modern brand-building. From internal enablement to external activation, panelists share real-world examples of how intelligent systems and immersive platforms are creating more agile, inspired, and high-performing organizations. This session also spotlighted how thoughtful integration of AI is augmenting – not replacing – human ingenuity, and why the companies thriving today are those that view innovation not as a tool, but as a culture. The discussion was moderated by the President of LA Times Studios, Anna Magzanyan.

Karan Chetal, Chief Sales Officer, Technology Services at Monks

Speaker

Karan Chetal

Chief Growth Officer, Technology Services at Monks

Photo of Michael Cohen, AI Strategist

Speaker

Michael Cohen

Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Plus Company, AIOS

Photo of Patrick Marzullo

Speaker

Patrick Marzullo

Senior Director, Creative Studio at Coinbase

Photo of Ganesha Rasiah

Speaker

Ganesha Rasiah

Chief Strategy Officer at HP

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who do I contact if I have questions?
Please submit any questions to eventinfo@latimes.com.

Do I need a Cannes Lions Badge to attend?
No, an official Cannes Lions badge is not required to attend. However, all attendees must register and receive confirmation to gain entry.

I would like to learn more about speaking opportunities with LA Times Studios. Who should I contact?
If you’re interested in speaking opportunities at LA Times Studios, please contact helya.askari@latimes.com.

Who can I contact about sponsorship inquiries?
For all sponsorship inquires, please contact helya.askari@latimes.com.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

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