José Rivera

Founder & Former Creative Chairman, Circus Grey 

José has more than 30 years of experience in the advertising industry. In 1999, he made history by winning Peru’s first-ever Cannes Lion with a campaign for Procter & Gamble. 

His international career includes leadership roles as Creative Director in Miami, Puerto Rico, and Chicago. Throughout his career, he has received some of the industry’s highest honors at Cannes Lions, D&AD, London International Awards, FIAP, El Sol, New York Festivals, Effie Latam, and El Ojo de Iberoamérica. 

In 2008, he founded Circus, which quickly became the leading agency in the Peruvian market. 

In 2018, he won Peru’s first—and to date only—Grand Effie LATAM. His work for Cemento APU was recognized by Effie Global as one of the world’s most effective brands, alongside iconic brands such as Apple, Google, and Nike. 

In 2022, José became CEO at Circus Grey. 

In 2024, his campaign Sightwalks for UNACEM received more than 100 international awards, becoming the third most awarded creative idea in the world. 

In 2026, together with BCP, he led the SOS POS campaign, which won seven Cannes Lions, including one Grand Prix and three Gold Lions. Now Circus Grey has become the first peruvian agency in history to reach No. 1 in Latam at Cannes Lions ranking.