Julia Goldin named „European CMO of the Year 2026“

Cannes, 22 June 2026 – Initiated by Serviceplan Group, Samsung Ads, The Trade Desk, SevenOneMedia and the University of St. Gallen, and supported by partners including Euronews, LinkedIn, FEDMA, HORIZONT, LBBonline and MarketingDirecto.com, the European CMO of the Year honours Chief Marketing Officers who set the benchmark for cross-border marketing leadership in Europe. The award was presented for the first time this year. Its inaugural recipient is Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer of the LEGO Group.

Prof. Dr. Sven Reinecke, Director of the Institute of Marketing and Customer Insight at the University of St. Gallen and the award’s academic partner, said: “Julia Goldin sets the benchmark for modern marketing leadership in Europe: strategic, creative and culturally relevant. She has transformed the LEGO brand far beyond its product category into a cultural icon, demonstrating how brands today can drive both growth and relevance.”

Under Goldin’s leadership, the LEGO Group has significantly expanded its presence across entertainment, sports and gaming. Collaborations with franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter and Fortnite, as well as global campaigns around Formula 1 and football, have broadened the brand’s reach and engaged new audiences. Campaigns such as “She Built That” also reflect her commitment to combining creativity with inclusion.

“This is a great recognition for the brand and the role it plays in people's lives. I’m deeply grateful to the many teams, partners and collaborators around the world who bring this to life every day – this honour truly belongs to them," said Julia Goldin.

More than 800 marketing leaders from 15 European countries and regions initially nominated CMOs whom they believe set the standard for modern marketing leadership. From the resulting shortlist, the CMOs participating in the CMO Barometer* ultimately selected Julia Goldin as the first-ever European CMO of the Year.

The award ceremony took place alongside the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, one of the most important global gatherings for the creative and marketing industries. The event brought together more than 100 leading marketing executives from across Europe, alongside representatives from business, media and academia, as well as partners of the award.

Another highlight of the evening was a keynote by AI strategist and author Nina Schick. The British-German expert is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading voices on generative artificial intelligence. Addressing the audience of CMOs, she spoke about the impact of AI on creativity, brand leadership and innovation.

“Marketing is one of the most important drivers of growth and business success,” said Florian Haller, CEO of Serviceplan Group. “Today, it influences the entire customer journey, from initial awareness to the final purchase decision. As a result, marketing contributes more directly and more measurably to business performance than ever before. With the European CMO of the Year Award, we want to recognise the achievements of the people who make this impact possible.”

The European CMO of the Year was awarded for the first time in 2026 and recognises Chief Marketing Officers who set the benchmark for cross-border marketing leadership in Europe. The selection process is driven by the marketing community itself and is academically supervised and validated by the University of St. Gallen.

*) The CMO Barometer is an annual study surveying top marketers from 14 European countries and the Middle East. 2026 in its seventh edition, it was conducted by Serviceplan Group in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen and executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles.