MullenLowe’s Sampath Karunaratne Awarded Next Generation Leader Scholarship to Cannes Lions

MullenLowe Group Sri Lanka continues its creative dominance as Sampath Karunaratne, Creative Director, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Next Generation Leader Scholarship to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France.

This marks the second consecutive year that a MullenLowe Sri Lanka creative leader has been selected for the scholarship, following Harendra Uyanage, who was recognised as the inaugural recipient last year during his tenure as Vice President and Executive Creative Director.

Initiated by Metal Factor, the scholarship honours the legacy of Yong Lye Peng and is designed to identify and support emerging leaders within Sri Lanka’s marketing communications industry. The programme places a strong emphasis on global exposure, enabling recipients to engage with leading thinkers, participate in workshops, and return with perspectives that can elevate the local industry.

The 2026 recipient was selected through a rigorous adjudication process led by a distinguished panel comprising Ranil de Silva, Founder, Metal Factor, Gian de Rose, Director, Brand and Communications, Sysco LABS, Kaushala Amarasekara, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, DFCC Bank, and Sheron Jayasundara, CEO, Ngage Strategic Alliance.

Commenting on the selection, Ranil de Silva stated, “Yong Lye Peng was a globally respected marketing communications strategist and a valued partner in establishing Leo Burnett in Sri Lanka. This scholarship, initiated by her husband Douglas Khoo, was created to recognise and reward the next generation of leaders in our industry, and Sampath Karunaratne stood out to the jury this year, earning the opportunity to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. I am confident he will find the experience deeply rewarding and return inspired to contribute towards elevating creative standards in Sri Lanka, while helping our industry gain greater global recognition.”

Sampath Karunaratne brings nearly two decades of experience in Sri Lanka’s advertising industry, having begun his career as a copywriter and steadily built a reputation for creative excellence and leadership. The scholarship provides him with a partially funded opportunity to attend the 2026 festival and engage with the global creative community.

Reflecting on the recognition, Sampath Karunaratne said, “I see this opportunity as a responsibility to take Sri Lankan creativity to the world. Not just to participate, but to show that we belong on that stage and to create more opportunities for others to follow.”

Congratulating Sampath on his achievement, Harendra Uyanage, now elevated to Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at MullenLowe Group Sri Lanka, added, “Sampath’s journey reflects a deep commitment to creative excellence and to the teams he has led over the years, and this recognition is well deserved, speaking to both his craft and his leadership. Exposure to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will add a new dimension to his thinking, and I am confident he will return with insights that will contribute meaningfully to our industry.”

MullenLowe Group Sri Lanka (MLG) is Sri Lanka’s largest integrated brand communications company with eight independent strategic business verticals, spanning Mainstream, Digital, Activations, MarTech, Media and Public Relations. MLG’s Sri Lanka office consists of 110 staff, serves 43 of the nation’s top corporates, manages 111 brands across 33 categories, including 80% of the top 10 and 50% of the top 20 most advertised categories in the country making it a company with prolific cross category knowledge. Ranked among the world’s top 100 agencies and APAC’s top 20, MLG is Sri Lanka’s Effie Agency of The Year and a consistent local awards leader for over a decade. It operated as a full member affiliate of MullenLowe Worldwide which was recently acquired by Omnicom. As the world’s largest marketing services group, Omnicom combines unmatched global knowledge and experience with local insight to deliver end-to-end brand solutions

Photo Caption

Sampath Karunaratne receives the Next Gen Leader Scholarship from Gian de Rose, Director, Brand and Communications, Sysco LABS, in the presence of Ranil de Silva, Founder of Metal Factor.