Suresh Raj (He/Him/His)’s Post

I met Suresh Raj (He/Him/His) for the first time 18 years ago. I’d just started in my new job in a PR agency in London and had never felt more of an imposter. I found Suresh in a two-page spread of PR Week magazine talking about his journey in PR. I wanted to meet him. My then super-boss and CEO encouraged me to write to him. I did. And that has been one of the biggest rewards I’ve ever received for reaching out to someone cold. Suresh has been a friend, role-model and hero to me in so many ways, ever since. There was no way I was going to go away from Cannes without running into him at the Carlton, even if it was for a few fleeting moments. We met in person after 10 years. I’m so proud of everything he’s done, what he’s achieved and how he continues to serve as a mentor, coach and friend to so many in the PR industry and outside of it. Suresh is a vocal champion of diversity across all spectrums and has been named onto numerous Top 100 Lists (Ethnic Minority & LGBTQ+) by the Financial Times, Yahoo! Finance, YouTube and also a ADCOLOR nominee. Grateful to Jennifer Helfer Paavola for that nudge to write to him, 18 years ago.

Why do I feel optimistic about the future of our industry? Because when this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity #SeeItBeIt cohort came into the #GlassLion jury room on Wednesday with mentor Amy Kunrojpanya for a Q&A session, they asked more clear-sighted and challenging questions than I've heard from a #SeeItBeIt group before. They told us ours was the only jury where they saw themselves reflected. We gave them hope, and they gave us hope ❤️ Ren Rigby Nayla Tueni Koo Govender Raphaella Martins Antonio Maiko Ota Suresh Raj (He/Him/His) KR Liu Pia Chaudhuri Sue Unerman #CannesLions

"Having been part of an underrepresented group in this industry for so long, being asked to join the Glass Jury it genuinely feels like my voice finally matters, having championed for equity and equality for those like me, and for those who experience the same obstacles as me." Ahead of Cannes, we had the chance to chat with Suresh Raj (He/Him/His), Chief Growth Officer at McCann New York & 2024 Cannes Glass Lion juror, on the opportunity to award work that is driving effective change for equal representation and diversity. Read the full interview below! https://lnkd.in/gRhXYxfN #DEI #canneslionsfestival #juror #AdForum #McCann #glasslion #interview #cannes2024

Know what happens when you have a Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity #GlassLion jury composed of brilliant diverse creative talent from all around the world; nine women and one man; LGBTQ+ talent; trans talent; talent with disability; talent from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds - in other words, what the face of an industry whose primary target is intersectionally female (women are the primary purchasers/influencers of purchase of everything) should be? You get full open-mindedness; a willingness to listen to and actually HEAR other people's point of view; a willingness to shift your own mindset accordingly in the face of different perspectives and cultural context. And when you have that, you set what I'm willing to bet is a new #CannesLions judging speed record in arriving at unanimous jury awards agreement in one morning. Cheers KR Liu Maiko Ota Sue Unerman Suresh Raj (He/Him/His) Pia Chaudhuri Ren Rigby Nayla Tueni Koo Govender Raphaella Martins Antonio - here's to our free rest-of-day🥂 😍

BIG SHOUT-OUT to whoever organizes the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity jury snacks 😍 I ate 3 TimTams. Suresh Raj (He/Him/His) ate 4 😋 #CannesLions

NEW YORK | Join us for an empowering and inspiring evening at our next Uncomfortable Conversations event as we debate masculine and feminine portrayals in the media with our partners at WARC. As an industry, we far too often scratch the surface of current issues but through these events we aim to delve a little deeper and get under the skin of everyday business challenges encouraging our speakers and guests to step outside their comfort zones and push boundaries. 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 Date: Wednesday May 22 Time: 5.30pm-8.00pm Location: McCann New York, 622 3rd Avenue, New York Our Uncomfortable Conversation series creates comfortable spaces for brave, honest conversations about the things that matter with our powerful, influential community in a warm, open environment. BOOK NOW - https://lnkd.in/ey_DChdb Linda Bethea, Helena Verellen, David H. Rosen, Jason Chebib, Margaret Molloy 🙋♀️ , Michelle Froah, Adriana Rizzo, Sophie Devonshire⚡️, Siobhan Cook, Brynie B McBurney