DHAKA, BANGLADESH // Akrum Hossain, Chief Creative Officer at POP5, is the only Bangladeshi creative with over 250 local and international awards, including from Cannes Lions, Spikes, the Effie Awards and more for his groundbreaking projects such as AgroBanking, the Child Marriage Prevention Loan, The Unwritten Story, Tally Loan Druti, and the Plastic Exchange Store. This year, his campaign Plot Farming earned a prestegious Grand Prix for Bangladesh at MAD STARS while also winning at ADFEST, and the PHNX Awards, further cementing POP5’s position on the international stage. He made history as the first from Bangladesh to serve as a speaker, jury member, and judge at Cannes Lions and to lead a coaching session at LIA. He was also a jury member at AdFest, MAD STARS, Creative Circle, Cannes Lions (shortlisting jury), PHNX Awards, Effie Awards, Commwards, Best TV Ads, and Ciclope. At agencies like Grey Dhaka and Asiatic Marketing Communications, Akrum’s leadership elevated them to become Bangladesh’s most awarded, with Asiatic ranked as the country’s best agency by Campaign Brief Asia. He was also recognized globally as the first Executive Creative Director (ECD) from an underrepresented country to make Creativepool’s list of the 25 Most Influential ECDs and was hailed as the most influential ECD in Bangladesh. Over nearly two decades, Akrum has worked with both local and international brands, including Telenor, Banglalink, Reckitt Benckiser, GSK, and United Commercial Bank. His pioneering efforts have helped bring Bangladeshi campaigns to the global stage, showcasing the creative potential of his country on an international platform