Simon Au
The Kitchen North America
Canada
Simon Au has redefined what creativity can achieve in Canada and beyond. As Executive Creative Director of The Kitchen North America at Kraft Heinz, he transformed a 15-person pilot team into a 170-strong, cross-border agency overseeing 27 brands. Under his leadership, The Kitchen has become a social-forward, culturally fluent powerhouse, generating 20 billion earned impressions and proving that in-house work can deliver both breakthrough creativity and measurable business impact at scale.This year, Simon expanded the agency’s capabilities with the launch of a dedicated TV creative department, further broadening its influence across channels. His work has earned major wins at the industry’s leading global award shows, while he himself has shaped global standards as a juror for the Clio Awards, London International Awards, The One Show, and D&AD. Beyond the work, Simon has built a future-facing culture rooted in inclusivity, Gen Z empowerment, and leadership development. By mentoring emerging talent and investing in creative leadership training, he is not only building award-winning campaigns, he is building the next generation of Canadian creative leaders.