The LEGO Group's Julia Goldin has been named the inaugural European CMO of the Year, a new award celebrating the continent's most impactful marketing leaders. The prize was presented on Monday evening during a beachside ceremony at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, attended by over 100 senior marketing executives, media representatives, and academics from across Europe.
Goldin, who serves as LEGO's Chief Product & Marketing Officer, was chosen from a shortlist of 28 candidates after a nomination process involving more than 800 marketing leaders from 15 European countries and regions. The final decision was made by CMOs participating in the CMO Barometer survey. To qualify, nominees had to have held their CMO role for at least two years and been responsible for marketing strategy across a minimum of four European countries.
Accepting the award, Goldin told Euronews Culture: "It's very humbling. It's, of course, very exciting. I feel an extreme sense of pride for the achievements of my team and our organisation."
Transforming LEGO into a Cultural Icon
The recognition caps a period of significant expansion for the Danish toymaker under Goldin's leadership. LEGO has broadened its presence across entertainment, gaming, and sport through partnerships with franchises including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, and Fortnite, alongside global campaigns linked to Formula One and football.
Professor Sven Reinecke, Director of the Institute of Marketing and Customer Insight at the University of St. Gallen and the award's academic partner, praised Goldin's impact: "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."
Speaking after the ceremony, Goldin emphasized that the award also reflects the strength of European creativity: "There are many awards that recognise the work of symbols around the world, the importance of creativity and imagination. But I think that there's something here that's a manifestation of the importance of European creativity and imagination."
She traced LEGO's journey from its humble origins in rural Denmark in 1932 to a global entertainment brand: "Very humble beginnings in Denmark, in very rural Denmark in 1932, with a view of just becoming something that's good for children to have, and now becoming a brand that is actually bringing moments of joy and creativity and sense of pride and creation to people around the world of all ages, all genders."
The ceremony also featured a keynote address from Nina Schick, who spoke about the impact of generative AI on creativity, innovation, and brand leadership.
The award highlights the growing importance of European marketing leadership in a global context. For more on how European brands are navigating cultural shifts, see our coverage of Ferrari, LEGO, and Revolut CMOs Vie for Inaugural European Marketing Award at Cannes.
Full list of selected CMOs: Ilaria Lodigiani (Barilla), Boris Dolkhani (Bosch), Javier Meza (Coca-Cola), Anouk Van Hauteghem (Coca-Cola), Cristina Diezhandino (Diageo), Beltran Dobao (Fatboy), Enrico Galliera (Ferrari), Marco Neroni (Golden Goose), Noel Mack (Gymshark), Karsten Kühn (HORNBACH), David Sandström (Klarna), Asmita Dubey (L'Oréal), Julia Goldin (LEGO), Andrea Spielmann (Lorenz Snack-World), Mathilde Delhoume-Debreu (LVMH), Susanne Schwenger (Marc O'Polo), Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod (MINI), Melanie Brinbaum (Nestlé), Olivier Degiorgis (Nestlé), Lactalis Géraldine Weilandt (NIVEA), Vincent Sieben (Philips), Taide Guajardo (Procter & Gamble), Antoine Le Nel (Revolut), Dr. Susanne Dickhardt (roadsurfer), Benjamin Braun (Samsung), Europe Kerstin Köder (SAP), Leandro Barreto (Unilever), Fabio Bin (WeRoad), Nicole Lunzer (woom).
