Sanjiv Mistry

Sanjiv studied advertising by day and law by night, before deciding that creative briefs were more interesting than legal ones. At VML, he is building an ambitious creative culture on global brands like KitKat, with work like "The KitKat Heist" proving how brands can earn attention and drive sales through culturally resonant, non-traditional thinking. Previously, he led the transformation of McCann's Xbox team into one of the world's most consistently celebrated client-and-agency partnerships. Work like "Survival Billboard", "The Everyday Tactician" and "The Fanchise Model" elevated how the gaming industry connects with its audience, in the process winning nearly 90 Cannes Lions. Sanjiv's body of work has been recognised over 600 international awards, among them the rare D&AD Black Pencil and One Show Penta Pencil. He has served on the juries of Cannes, D&AD, The One Show and Clios, and is a frequent speaker and panellist. Outside of advertising, he dabbles in food writing, and is the current holder of the Sunday Times AA Gill Award. He is, in short, doing all he can to not become a lawyer.