
The Epica Awards has announced that Mark Tutssel, executive chairman of Leo Burnett, will be the first recipient of its Creative Leaders Tribute at its ceremony in Amsterdam next month.
Tutssel has been global chief creative officer at the Publicis Groupe network since 2006. He became its first creative leader since Leo Burnett himself when he was named executive chairman in February. Tutssel moved to the US in 2002, having previously been executive creative director at Leo Burnett London.
Winning multiple awards on clients including McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Samsung, Tutssel he was appointed to head the global creative board at Publicis Communications in 2016.
The Creative Leaders Tribute award was launched to honour those who have shown a career-long commitment to supporting and enhancing creativity.
Epica’s editorial director, Mark Tungate, said there had never been any doubt that Tutssel would be the award’s first recipient, adding: "From both his career and our own interactions with him, it’s clear that Mark is a tireless initiator and supporter of ground-breaking creative work."
Tutssel said: "I’ve had the privilege of working with many talented people and brave brands throughout my career. I truly believe creativity is the driving force behind our business and I always will be a champion of it."
The ceremony takes place at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute on 15 November.