Chris obtained his master’s degree in graphic design/advertising at St Lucas Antwerp and was awarded “Best graphic design”. He started working for a small corporate design agency in Antwerp but quickly moved to Brussels where he worked for Leo Burnett on big international brands. After 9 years learning all about the principles of marketing and advertising, he felt the time was right to begin using this solid background to develop relevant and award-winning campaigns and went on to work for Duval Guillaume Brussels for 6 years as senior Art Director (and will always be grateful to Guillaume for being his mentor). Meanwhile, in Chris’s own words, “The world of advertising was adapting to/struggling with that new phenomenon called internet. Communication was breaking out of its narrow carcass, Direct Marketing had become sexy again and everybody wanted to do 360. There was exciting stuff to be made outside of the classic channels.”This prompted Chris to move to Tequila/agency.com, the interactive, direct marketing agency within the TBWA group, as Creative Director. Four years later, he became Creative Director of Proximity BBDO, working on integrated campaigns with a focus on “creating effectiveness”. And so he became what he likes to call a “crossover communicator”, relying on gut feeling, consumer insights and common sense and indulging in all the new ways communication is expressing itself in. He finds a reflection of his advertising convictions in last winners at Cannes, which he believes is now as much about business ideas, product ideas and technology ideas as it is about communication ideas.Chris’s view on the near future: digital personalization and new technologies will create a new hybrid category: Direct Branding. He envisions this as an involving piece of brand-building communication customized to the receiver and with the possibility to interact. His motto: "Curiosity is the key to creativity". (Akio Morita)