David Verklin, NYC-based CEO of Carat Americas, and chairman of Carat Asia Pacific, has just been appointed jury president for this year’s Media Lions component of the 54th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

A keynote speaker at Media in Canada‘s first annual forum in 2005, Verklin is based in New York. He joined Carat in 1998 as CEO of Carat Americas, and in 2005 was also appointed chairman of Carat Asia Pacific. Under his leadership, Carat Americas has grown into one of the world’s leading media-centric diversified marketing companies, as well as the fastest growing within the industry with media billings approaching $8 billion annually.

One of the most frequently quoted experts in the media industry, Verklin is the author of the upcoming book Watch This, Listen Up, Click Here. He currently sits on the boards of the American Advertising Federation, the Ad Council, the Audit Bureau of Circulations and the Virginia Commonwealth University’s AdCenter.

Commenting on his appointment as jury president, Verklin noted that ‘This is an important moment in the history of commercial persuasion and marketing sciences.’