Meet Denise Willigers, the new Managing Director of ADCN

Meet Denise Willigers, the new Managing Director of ADCN

Dinesh Sonak continues as Academy & Partnerships Director.

Photo: Yvette de Wit | Amsterdam, 7 september 2023

ADCN, the club for creativity in the Netherlands, proudly unveils Denise Willigers as our new Managing Director. Together with the club's team, board, partners, and committees, she will spearhead ADCN's continued mission of "creative growth."

Dinesh Sonak, who has led ADCN since 2014, will continue as Academy & Partnerships Director. He will focus on expanding ADCN’s educational programs (such as PlusPlusOne) and business partnerships. ADCN will officially present Denise and the new Board to the creative communications industry during the Dutch Creativity Awards Ceremony on the 31st of October.

Denise joins ADCN from production company DPPLR where she was Head of Creative Business. She has previously worked in account and production roles within various agencies. In her role as co-founder of ADNIGHT, she has gained a broad network and experience in the creative industry.

ADCN’s Transformation

Under Dinesh’s leadership, ADCN has transformed from an advertising club and awards show into a multidisciplinary community and educational platform for creativity in communications. The club’s new mission is to accelerate creative growth: grow the very best creative people and ideas who make a positive impact. ADCN has renewed its awards platform by integrating the prestigious Spins and Lamps into the Dutch Creativity Awards. In November ADCN will present the third edition of Dutch Creativity Festival, a two-day exploration of the best creative ideas and minds in the Netherlands. With its Club and Academy programs, ADCN supports the connections between and the growth of creative professionals and teams. ADCN Academy will soon launch new programs related to AI, inclusion and ethics. With Denise’s appointment, ADCN will enter a new phase during which it will focus on uniting the community.

“I think I speak on behalf of everyone involved with ADCN that Dinesh is an unbelievable force. Someone with an enormous amount of positive energy & passion, who can make the impossible happen and always keeps moving forward. For almost a decade he used his force to reshape ADCN and brought the club into the current world by challenging conventions and creating new programs. He turned the club into something many of our international colleague clubs are jealous about.

For me, Denise represents a new generation of leaders. Humble but honest, open-minded but opinionated, managing and making. From the first conversation, it was clear she has a clear point of view on the creative industry and the role ADCN should play in it. She does not shy away from challenging us and the industry. With her background as co-founder of ADNIGHT and her many years of experience, she will bring the ADCN into the next phase.”

- Jouke Vuurmans, ADCN’s co-chair and Chief Creative Officer at Media.Monks