Jan, as a child, was fairly certain he would become a pilot. The idea was simple: to see the world. While that career path didn’t quite work out, curiosity still did. Over the past 20 years, his work as a creative director has taken him across Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and China. Unlike a pilot, he was able to experience places up close and to understand how differently people see the world depending on where they are. Those experiences continue to shape the way Jan works.

That same curiosity has also led him to explore both independent agencies such as Jung von Matt and Serviceplan and global networks including DDB Berlin and BBDO. He also got the opportunity to work on iconic brands like IKEA, Volkswagen, Carlsberg, or Mercedes. And across it all, his focus has always been on ideas that spark such curiosity and make audiences look twice.

That approach has gained him and his teams recognition at all major international award shows. And it’s also what he values about judging: the opportunity to discover innovative work that people simply want to engage with naturally.

Jan still loves to travel the world, but these days, he’s just as interested in ideas that do the same.