Singapore: The APAC Effie Awards has appointed Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia, and Tuomas Peltoniemi, Managing Director at Accenture Song, as the Heads of Jury for its 2026 edition.
Both leaders will play a key role in guiding the judging process and working alongside the broader jury panel to assess the region’s most effective marketing campaigns.
Randhawa oversees Publicis Groupe’s integrated capabilities across data, technology, creative, and media in Southeast Asia. Since assuming the CEO role in 2021, she has aligned multiple markets under a unified strategy, establishing Centres of Excellence that support the Groupe’s operations across the region. Under her leadership, Publicis Groupe has strengthened its presence in Southeast Asia, securing major business wins and emerging as one of the fastest-growing holding companies in the market.
Her approach focuses on building cross-functional and culturally diverse teams to deliver impactful work. Randhawa has also been recognised for fostering inclusive leadership, with a senior leadership team that reflects the diversity of the Southeast Asian region.
Commenting on her appointment, Randhawa said that the role provides an opportunity to highlight work that demonstrates the real impact of marketing on business performance.
“A mix of short-termism, mismeasurement and budget pressures over the past few years has placed marketing effectiveness under scrutiny. Serving as Head of Jury allows us to spotlight work that truly proves the power of marketing and communications to deliver business outcomes,” she said.
Peltoniemi brings more than 25 years of experience spanning technology, creativity and business transformation. At Accenture Song, he leads the Design and Digital Products practice for Southeast Asia, helping organisations develop next-generation digital experiences and intelligent products powered by emerging technologies such as generative AI and agentic AI.
His work focuses on integrating advanced technologies into customer journeys, service ecosystems and digital platforms to help brands drive growth and relevance.
Before joining Accenture Song, Peltoniemi served as Managing Director for R/GA APAC and earlier as President of TBWA Asia, where he partnered with global brands to lead large-scale digital transformation and innovation initiatives across the region.
Speaking on his appointment, Peltoniemi said the Effies have long recognised marketing work that goes beyond creativity to deliver tangible business results.
“For over a decade, the APAC Effies have celebrated work that not only captures attention but drives measurable impact. In a rapidly evolving industry landscape, effectiveness remains our true north, and I look forward to recognising ideas that combine bold creativity with proven results,” he said.
Now in its 13th year, the APAC Effie Awards continues to recognise campaigns that demonstrate measurable success in achieving strategic business objectives across the Asia-Pacific region. Over the years, the awards have built a reputation as one of the industry’s most respected benchmarks for marketing effectiveness.
The organisers said additional members of the jury panel for the 2026 edition will be announced in the coming weeks.
