Azhar Siddiqui is the CEO and Managing Partner of Mediaplus Middle East, a Dubai-based strategic media agency and part of Serviceplan / House of Communication — one of the world's most awarded independent agency networks. Over the past decade, he has built Mediaplus Middle East into one of the region's most respected challenger agencies, most recently recognised as Independent Media Agency of the Year 2025 in Saudi Arabia at the MMA Smarties Awards.

Before he joined Mediaplus Middle East, Azhar built his leadership credentials across some of the industry's most prestigious global networks, including OMG and IPG, where he served as Managing Director of Magna Global in the UAE — experience that gave him a deep understanding of how great media businesses are built, and what clients truly need from their agency partners.

His work spans media strategy, performance marketing, data intelligence, and AI-enabled products, but what drives him most is the intersection of human judgment and technology — and the belief that the best media work is ultimately about solving real business problems for people who care deeply about their brands.

He holds a MBA from Pace University's Lubin School of Business in New York, Azhar brings to the Cannes Media Alliance jury not just commercial rigour but a genuine passion for the craft — and a practitioner's eye for work that is both strategically brave and beautifully executed.