Teachers and Jurors

Teodora Migdalovici

Founder of The Alternative School

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: personal & corporate branding / creative direction / lobby / creative industries analyst and advocate / emotional intelligence / CX / promoter of culture

Tedi Migdalovici is an international public speaker and trainer, having attended, since 2000, major worldwide events related to the marketing and the communication industry, with remarkable results. She has spoken on emotional intelligence, has trained creative people on their way to win Cannes Lions trophies and has shared her view of the industry’s future on global stages in Belgrade, Cascais, Cairo, London, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Portorož, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Mauritius, Paris, Singapore, Sarajevo, Vienna, Zagreb.

Because of her particular way of perceiving and interpreting information, she is invited as keynote speaker at exclusive business events with focus on brand management, creativity trends, customer essence and emotional intelligence. In this capacity she worked for British American Tobacco, Cannes Lions, Coca-Cola, Google, Geometry Global, Danone, DDB Bucharest, DDB Malasya, Nestle, New Moment, Mauritius Commercial Bank, McCann Adriatics, McCann Tel Aviv, Mediaedge:cia, Media Marketing, Petrom, P&G Europe, Renania, UM, Unilever, Unicredit, Vodafone.

As Cannes Lions Ambassador in Romania, Tedi Migdalovici has been one of the most dedicated supporters for those creatives – both juniors and seniors – motivated to perform in Cannes and a reputed lobbyist for Creative Romania abroad, via Love and Lobby, the private diplomacy platform. In recognition for her contribution, she was awarded the 2nd place for the Most Passionate Cannes Lions Ambassador by the festival’s organizers in 2013 and the Media Award for “People and Ideas that Change Romania for the Better” by Foreign Policy in 2015.

As author, strategist and creator, she is the recipient of several other awards, including Private Diplomacy Award, Gold @Stevies Awards, Gold @European Excellence Award for “Coca-Cola book of smiles”, “Global Super Achiever Award” by Brand Summit Mumbai, “Dragan Sakan Award” for the impact on Eastern European Creativity.

Filip Gonzacenco

 Art Director at Publicis Conseil Paris

Once one finishes a technical university and has the engineer label attached to his name, the most senseless thing to do is search for a job in advertising. And yet, in Filip’s case though, it was the only way to be at peace with his inner child. After a debut at Ogilvy Bucharest, he is now working as an art director for Publicis Conseil in Paris.

It’s seldom for Filip to feel the need to say big words, but there is a thing often confused for a cliché, that is a constant presence in his life: “Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort”. Everyone is creative, hard work makes the difference. Luckily for him, working is just a passion.

He is among the proud alumni of the Alternative School for Creative Thinking. In 2015, alongside Silvia Gradinaru, he won the local competition and became the Cannes Young Lions 2015 representative for Romania.  Since living abroad, as an ardent supporter of Romanian creativity, it’s with great pride that he is inviting people to discover his country of origin at every given opportunity.

You can drop him a line on instagram.com/filipthewise, chances are he’ll be most happy to reply.

Alexandra Bombita

Senior Copywriter

Alexandra Bombita qualified in the Young Lions Design competition at Cannes Lions 2016 after winning the spot in a national competition at The Alternative School. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations and Advertising, she has worked as a copywriter at agencies like Geometry Global and Leo Burnett Bucharest for several clients like Telekom, Avon, Samsung, Philips, Danone, Altex, Pepco and Mercedes. She’s young, witty, with an exceptional sense of humor, and ready to share about her extensive experience. Alexandra is currently Senior Copywriter for Cohn & Jansen Bucharest.

Nikita Petrusev

Creative director at Active Marketing Agency Moscow

Nikita Petrusev is a prolific creative in the advertising industry since 2010. He is the celebrated winner of over 115 awards at Russian and international advertising festivals, with experience in strategic planning at BBDO and creative leadership at TWIGA TOUCH. Thanks to Nikita, Action Marketing Agency has won prestigious world awards, including Cannes Lions (Gold / Bronze), Eurobest, Epica and Red Apple (Grand Prix).

Creative Director with focus on Russian & CIS market, he is passionate about work, has high standards for outcomes and self-driven. His clients include Saint Spring, Borjomi, Cherkizovo, Pizza Hut, LADA, SsangYong, UAZ Patriot, Moscow Department of Transport, VTB, PSB, Pocketbook, Hansa.

Uwe Melichar

 Sustainable Packaging Expert, President EPDA, Red Dot & Pentawards Jury member

Digitization, Purpose, Sustainability are the buzzwords that drive our design business today. What are the new requirements for designers? What do brand owners want and how to act and react as an agency? Brand & Packaging Expert Uwe Melichar gave us some insights on what’s going on beyond the beauty of design. Uwe Melichar, born in 1968, studied communication design at the Muthesius University in Kiel and worked at the brand agency FACTOR for 25 years. He was the agency’s managing partner and built up the packaging division. In 2020, he left the FACTOR and started his new business, MELICHAR Bros. Under the slogan “Increase Value, Decrease Waste”, the company focuses on sustainable packaging solutions. In his work-life, Uwe Melichar has realised projects for adidas, Bosch, C&A, Gardena, Omron and Miele. Together with his team, he develops packaging and communication design for clients in Japan, Russia, China, the USA and various European countries. He is also a lecturer at several universities, such as the University of Augsburg, is a member of the Type Directors Club New York and president of the European Brand & Packaging Design AssoCiation (EPDA).

Jamie Ellul

 Founder & Creative Director of Supple Studio

Jamie is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers and awarded member of D&AD. He started his design career at hat-trick design consultants in 2001 after graduating from Somerset College of Arts. Whilst at hat-trick, he worked with a diverse group of clients including Fairbridge, BBC Books, The Royal Mail, Natural History Museum, Capital Radio, Land Securities and NESTA. In 2005 he became senior designer at Blast, where he designed the award-winning Inuit Paper identity and campaign for Arjowiggins, as well as work for BBC Events, University of the Arts London and the Arts Council.

In 2007 as a senior freelance designer, Jamie worked with The Partners, 300million, fivefootsix and Wiedemann Lampe before establishing Magpie Studio in a pub in early 2008 with two of his best buddies. Magpie Studio went on to become one of the UK’s most internationally awarded agencies (6th in the Design Week Creative Survey 2013) working with household names from Apple to the British Heart Foundation, Nike to Royal Mail.

In 2013 Jamie relocated to Bath where he started Supple Studio (not in a pub this time). Bringing with him a wealth of experience and an enviable list of clients including Channel 4, Royal Mail, The Royal Mint, University of the Arts London, The Royal Institution, The Chartered Society of Designers, NSPCC and National Museums of Scotland. Over the years he has written various articles for the British design press and has been awarded a plethora of pieces of wood, metal and paper – eighteen D&AD Awards (including three silver nominations, an Impact Award and two Yellow Pencils), thirteen Design Week Awards (including two winners and four commendations), two ADC NY Silver Awards and a Cannes Gold Lion for branding. But he never got himself the elusive record deal he was really after.

Tay Guan Hin

Creative Officer, BBDO Singapore

Tay Guan Hin is Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Singapore. He has helped Visa, Exxon, Shell, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, P&G, HSBC, Unilever, and other global brands improve market share and solve business challenges. He operates well within this complexity, always matching flawless execution with inspiring creative ideas, staying true to the brand’s DNA. Guan is the true collaborator, a profound alchemist of innovative success in a team working in the most creative agency worldwide networks, like JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Leo Burnett.  Guan’s role continues to evolve: delivering insightful creativity that builds on digital and innovative engagement to increase brand preference.

He has been fortunate enough to be recognized in Cannes Lions as a Jury President, D&AD Foreman, One Show Judge, Head of Jury Asia Pacific Effies, and a tank mechanic. As a thought leader, he is a sought-after keynote speaker in global/regional conventions, including Digital CMO Summit, The Martech Summit, CMO Innovation Summit, Spikes Asia, One Show China, Brand Fest, Adfest, Brand Forum, AdStar, and Cannes Lions.  Guan devotes the same passion that goes into his work by mentoring young talents — setting up the first student awards in Singapore, trained students in One Show China, including the Spikes Asia Young Academy.

Davor Bruketa

Chief Creative Officer and Co-Chairman at Bruketa&Žinić&Grey

Davor Bruketa is the Chairman of the legendary Bruketa Zinic & Grey. Alongside Nicola, Davor launched BZ in 1995 and pretty soon they made a name for themselves, as well as for the Croatian / Eastern European exquisite talent. Their office, nicely placed in the premises of a former toilet paper factory, is a statement for both their sense of humor and their aim to resist routine and produce exceptional content, standing the test of time.

Recipient of more than 450 international creativity and design distinctions, modestly listed alphabetically, on the agency’s webpage, there is no wonder BZ ended up winning the long sought after International Small Agency of the year Award, a distinction offered by AdAge, in 2014.

If there is a way to describe the agency style, remained untouched over the years, before and after the alliance with Grey, here it is: a soft spot for brilliantly simple insight that is there, for everyone to see, while 99.9 of the people are simply missing its splendid relevance. A human approach on the briefs, with one of the highest creative EQ’s ever seen among communicators. And in the end, a flawless use of all design tools on earth, to bring brands and stories into people’s lives and living them there, to have a voice of their own and to be part of the pop-culture.

Dorian Ilie

Communication Director at Rogalski Damaschin

For over 15 years, Dorian loves managing campaigns from the creative concept to the well-done-smile of the client at the end of it. He is passionate about good stories, movies – big Lars von Trier fan! – Animation, London Grammar, Lebanese food and brainstorming sessions with lots of laughs. He believes that it’s more important to ask questions than to have the right answers, so this is he is always that guy who keeps asking those annoying questions when you thought the meeting was over. Maybe this is an old habit from back in the day when he used to be a feature journalist writing stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. He is also a big supporter of science, diversity & environmental conservation. In recent years he and his team at Rogalski Damaschin PR were awarded multiple times at class A creativity and PR festivals, such as Cannes Lions, SABRE, Digital Communication Awards.

His name is associated with high impact social projects for sick children or nature protection.

Cannes Lions: Gold Lion in the category Entertainment for Music – Use of an Artist as a Spokesperson/Ambassador in Partnership with a Cause at the 2016 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, for the A Voice for Songbirds campaign, in partnership with Jazz Communication.

In the jury for the Cannes and Eurobest previous semesters, The Alternative School brought some big names in the local and international creative industry, people in marketing and CEOs:

Mihai Fetcu

Elena Markos

Szabi Szekely

Zélia Sakhi

Alex Haidamac

Mario Gazebro

Nir Refuah

Vlad Butucariu

David Khoo

Alex Strambeanu

Alvin Teoh

Radu Nantu

Past teachers & Jurors

Bechara Mouzannar

Gabriela Lungu 

Alina Damaschin 

Sebastian Olar

Dinu Panescu

Andres Vergara

ALINA RIZESCU rizi design /  ADAM AMBROZY gpd / ALINA OSTAHI western union / ANA BULGAR petrom / ADRIAN BOTAN mccann / ANDREEA MIHAI carrefour / BOB TOMA graffiti bbdo  / CLAUDIU DOBRITA grey / CAMELIA POPESCU cora / CRISTIAN PASARICA automobile bavaria / CRISTIAN COSTEA geometry hamburg / DIANA PAPUC leo burnett /  DINU PANESCU mccann / EMIL COMSEA ogilvy / GABI LUNGU the practice / GEO BARAIAN impression graphics

GRANT MCKENZIE saab miller/ HORATIU DIMULESCU vodafone / HORTENSIA NASTASE golin /  IASHIDO taken from / IOANA SUCIU heidi  / IONELA NICOLAU walmark / IOANA BOBI antalis / IOANA MANOIU gmp pr /   JOHAN OHLSON saatchi & saatchi /KALPESH PANTAKAR y&r dubai / LANA DUMITRU lana balana / LAURENIU SEMENIUC 23 communication ideas / LAURENTIU DUMITRESCU –digital star / LAURA NEDELSCHI – friends \ tbwa / MAGDA BOLINTINEANU mark to mark / MIGUEL GONCALVES tempo

MIHAI ENE the secret service / MICHAEL KONRAD berlin school for creative leadership / MIHAI GABRIEL BOTAREL raoul* mihai / MIHAI DEAC green pixel /  MICHELLE LIM mad school singapore / POSTUMIA MARTIN inspired / OLAH GYARFAS rozalb de mura / ROXANA MEMETEA ddb / THOMAS KOLSTER the goodvertising agency / VICTOR STROE leo burnett / VLAD TOMEI supersomething/ VALENTIN SUCIU jazz / STEFAN LIUTE grapefruit / YONATHAN DOMINITZ mindscapes