Judges

Who are the judges?

The Digital Impact Awards is judged by a broad range of in-house industry experts.

Each year we invite the previous year's winners of the 'Digital agency of the year' and the 'Grand prix' awards to join the panel and these judges fill two agency slots.

 


How does the judging system work?

Scoring is based on a points system and the judges submit these scores anonymously. The judges mark the entries against the criteria mentioned within the entry and information guide: objective, research and planning, creativity and innovation, strategy and implementation and results.

Our judging system is rigorous and fair. If a judge has entered a specific category they will be exempt from reviewing that category, to avoid a conflict of interest.

Winners are determined by the scores they receive and the entries that score high enough will be shortlisted, invited to attend the awards ceremony and awarded with a trophy. If requested, we also provide detailed feedback on agencies’ work after the awards evening, which proves useful for future entries.

 


Interested in joining the panel?

If you are interested in the opportunity to judge and believe you have the necessary background, please email Melanie at melanie.han@cravenhillpublishing.com with a short biography for consideration.

Inanc Emre Albayrak

İnanç Emre Albayrak

Turkish Airlines

Digital communications and digital media planning manager

Inanc Emre Albayrak

İnanç Emre Albayrak

Turkish Airlines

Inanc Emre Albayrak has extensive experience in the communication sector, encompassing media planning, project and campaign management, digital marketing, and social media content and community management. He played a pivotal role in bringing Turkey's first international women's tennis tournament, the WTA Tour, to the country in 2005. Between 2009, he managed global brand strategies, advertising campaigns, and interactive marketing communications for Turkish Airlines between 2010-2017.

As Digital Communication Manager at Turkcell, he led digital transformation projects and marketing communications until 2020. From 2020 to 2023, he led Akbank's digital communication and media planning teams. Since beginning of 2024, he has been leading global digital communication and digital media planning at Turkish Airlines again. Throughout his career, he has gained experience in various sectors, including sports marketing, aviation, banking, and telecommunications. Albayrak holds a degree in Media and Communication. 

Alex Betti

Alex Betti

Pharmovia

Director of digital marketing

Alex Betti

Alex Betti

Pharmovia

Alex is the Director of Digital Marketing at a global lifecycle management healthcare company. With over 20 years of experience in integrated communications, marketing, and digital marketing, he has held various leadership roles across multiple multinational organizations. Alex has introduced new digital revenue streams and optimized marketing deliverables, supporting charitable initiatives worldwide. Notably, he delivered the first European facial recognition OOH campaign to raise awareness of discrimination against girls and won awards for impactful social media campaigns. Alex is a passionate advocate for modern marketing, driving transformation efforts that enhance brand awareness and generate growth.

 

James Bradshaw

James Bradshaw

Formula 1

Head of digital technology

James Bradshaw

James Bradshaw

Formula 1

James Bradshaw is Head of Digital Technology at Formula 1; responsible for Platform & Technology Strategy and Technical Delivery of all consumer facing Digital Products. James draws on a wealth of experience, spanning many industries in agencies, consultancies and directly for leading consumer brands.

 

Stuart Bryce

Stuart Bryce

Natwest

Digital marketing lead – NatWest (Payments)

Stuart Bryce

Stuart Bryce

Natwest

Stuart has worked in the digital marketing sector for 18 years, having worked both agency and client-side during that time. His passion is seeing tangible improvements in marketing performance from leading digital teams across paid and organic digital acquisition channels. He currently leads the digital team at NatWest responsible for the tylbynatwest.com and payitbynatwest.com websites. Pervious to NatWest, Stuart has held client-side digital marketing roles at O2, Canon, Virgin Media, Neilson Financial Services and agency roles at MindShare and Unique Digital (WPP). 

Crystal Carter

Crystal Carter

Wix

Head of SEO communications

Crystal Carter

Crystal Carter

Wix

Crystal Carter the Head of SEO Communications at Wix. She is an SEO & Digital Marketing professional with over 15 years experience working with SEO and Marketing clients around the world like Disney, McDonalds, Tomy and more.

As an SEO, she identifies and implements tactics that help businesses optimise digital activity, drive sales, engagement and growth online.

She has contributed to events, webinars, and publications from Google Search Central, Brighton SEO, Moz, Whitespark Local Search Summit, Semrush, SMX, Search Engine Land, Lumar, Women in Tech SEO and more.

David Chandler

David Chandler

Great State

Joint managing director

David Chandler

David Chandler

Great State

Joint Managing Director at Great State with over 20 years’ experience across various agencies, driving innovation and quality output that creates impact. David collaborates and challenges clients and internal teams to go beyond their comfort zone, engaging with them on a strategic level.

He is passionate about leading an agency that delivers enhanced digital customer experiences, and his main driver is to ensure that the agency surpass the award-winning standards that clients have come to expect from the agency.

In his role, he works closely with senior stakeholders to develop and implement the business strategy – achieving ambitious revenue and margin targets while maintaining excellent quality of output for clients.

Dan Cowley

Dan Cowley

Drax Group

Head of digital

Dan Cowley

Dan Cowley

Drax Group

Dan is Group Head of Digital at Drax, a FTSE250 listed energy business with an international presence. He has worked in the industry for over 15 years, mostly agency side, helping to initially deliver best-in-class digital projects and latterly developing digital strategies to enhance and improve Digital corporate communications.
His role at Drax sees him responsible for their global and branded websites as well as their corporate social media presence. Managing content creation including video and thought leadership as well as day-to-day campaign management and site governance.

Ryan Curtis Johnson

Ryan Curtis-Johnson

The Valuable 500

Chief communications officer

Ryan Curtis Johnson

Ryan Curtis-Johnson

The Valuable 500

Ryan Curtis-Johnson is Chief Communications Officer at the Valuable 500, the global organisation of over 500 partners and companies working together to end disability exclusion in business.

With over 15 years of experience driving innovative integrated communications solutions for leading global brands, Ryan leverages his expertise to spearhead messaging, content, and public relations that accelerate progress towards transformative system change for the 1.3 billion people worldwide living with disabilities. His work extends to collaborating with a diverse range of brands and organisations, delivering not only effective communications but also prioritising accessibility and inclusivity.

Melis Erdinc

Melis Erdinç

Arçelik Hitachi Home Appliances

Global head of digital marketing

Melis Erdinc

Melis Erdinç

Arçelik Hitachi Home Appliances

Melis has over 12 years of experience in digital marketing, she has cultivated a versatile skill set by contributing to various industries such as Fashion, High Tech, Hospitality, and Home Appliances. During her tenure at Beko Global, she held the pivotal role of overseeing Global Digital Communications & Influencer Management for a vast network spanning over 140 countries for a period of 4 years. In her most recent professional chapter, she has been serving as the Global Head of Digital for the esteemed Home Appliance Brand, Hitachi, for the last 3 years.

She had the privilege of living and working in diverse locations including Turkey, the US, Germany, and the APAC region. She possesses a unique strength in comprehending the nuances of consumer behaviour across different geographies. This experience equips her with a profound understanding of consumer insights, enabling her to approach digital marketing with a global perspective.

Ricardo Gato

Ricardo Gato

Icona Capital

Group Communications and Marketing Director

Ricardo Gato

Ricardo Gato

Icona Capital

Ricardo Gato is a seasoned and award-winning marketing expert with over a decade of experience in the luxury and travel sectors. He has delivered significant growth and increased brand awareness for top-tier companies such as Ultima Collection, Cookson Adventures, Stratajet, Fly Victor, and NetJets. Currently, as the Group Communications and Marketing Director at Icona Capital & Unica Capital, Ricardo has successfully developed and launched comprehensive brand identities and marketing strategies. His diverse expertise encompasses hospitality, private aviation, and ultra-luxury real estate, demonstrating his ability to lead impactful marketing campaigns, forge influential partnerships, and thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments.

Andy Gibbard

Andy Gibbard

SGS

Global director of digital & brand

Andy Gibbard

Andy Gibbard

SGS

Andy is currently Group Head of Communications at SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. Based in the UK, Andy has been at SGS since 2013, and after initially specialising in digital he has moved through several management positions, with his current role covers the entire spectrum of brand, marketing and communications. He previously spent five years working as Head of Content for a creative agency, working with global B2B clients across multiple industry sectors.

Sarah Heming

Sarah Heming

Formerly at Zoetis

Marketing, communications & PA director

Sarah Heming

Sarah Heming

Formerly at Zoetis

Sarah Heming is a fractional CMO advising a variety of businesses and the former Director of Communications and Digital Marketing at Zoetis, a leading animal health company. She has driven double-digit growth through innovative marketing strategies and digital transformation.

With over a decade of leadership experience across global markets, Sarah excels in creating impactful digital campaigns and enhancing customer engagement. Her career includes successful roles at Abbott and Molnlycke Health Care, where she managed multi-billion-pound franchises and led record-breaking product launches. As a board member and digital advocate, she leverages technology to optimise marketing operations and foster business growth. Forever intrigued, curious and inspired by powerful campaigns and insights, Sarah continually seeks to harness the positive potential of digital innovation.

Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis

Career Ready

Head of digital

Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis

Career Ready

Andrew is a strategic digital and marketing technology leader with 15+ years of global experience delivering world-class digital experiences online for big brands including Cisco, Tesco, NHS and The AA. Innovation is at the heart of all he does by transforming ways of working and utilising latest digital marketing technologies to get the best results.

Morgan Long

Morgan Long

The Royal Navy

Defence digital foundry - senior product manager and talent lead

Morgan Long

Morgan Long

The Royal Navy

Morgan has been in the Royal Navy for over 20 years, joining initially as a front-line trauma medic. He has served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone and around the Horn of Africa on land and at sea. Completing the Defence Innovation Fellowship in Oct 20, this accelerated his development and reputation to become a renowned digital and innovation leader within Defence.

He’s just finished leading multiple product teams across new and existing features within the MyNavy & MyRAF applications, winning several industry award recognitions last year. Having moved into his current role in May 23, he continues to challenge historic ways of working, championing agile principles and user-centred design to provide a seamless user experience that prioritises utility, empowerment and personalisation for every user in Defence.

Emre Onar

Emre Onar

Henkel

Head of digital marketing

Emre Onar

Emre Onar

Henkel

Currently working as Head of Digital Marketing for Henkel UK & Ireland, Emre has over 10 years of digital marketing experience in FMCG and hospitality companies in both the UK and Turkey.

Emre’s experience has focused on elevating brand presence across various digital marketing areas from SEO to performance marketing, influencer marketing, CRM and social media.

Emre is also a content creator and digital broadcaster, with a weekly podcast series of over 75K subscribers on Spotify. He also has a separate YouTube series and writes travel articles for magazines in Turkey.

Emre holds a BA in Business Administration from Bogazici University, and a certification in Digital Marketing Strategy from the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School.

Adrian Pinter

Adrian Pinder

DS Smith

Head of digital and media

Adrian Pinter

Adrian Pinder

DS Smith

Adrian joined DS Smith in June 2022 to lead and launch the digital and data hub, a new capability within DS smith to drive a digital transformation. Before that he had a number of digital and product management roles in the large engineering companies Atkins, Jacobs and GE. He started his career as a scientist in the UK civil service where he worked for 10 years in a range of technology strategy roles. He has a degree in physics and an MBA.

Louise Pyman

Louise Pyman

Haleon

Global head of digital channels

Louise Pyman

Louise Pyman

Haleon

Louise Pyman is a corporate and brand communications professional and writer with over 15 years of experience in global strategic corporate brand communications and reputation. She is currently Global Head of Digital Channels, Content and Editorial at FTSE100 consumer health company Haleon, covering internal and external communications.

Prior to that, Louise spent six years at luxury goods company Burberry in various roles across external communications, public relations, website and social media in London and north Asia. Her career started as a journalist, working across TV, print and radio in Australia, before moving to the other side of the table as a communications advisor at Tulchan Communications. She is fascinated by all things AI and finding ways to incorporate it into corporate communications. She completed her mini MBA in Deeper Human Understanding in 2023 with a research paper on how consumer and corporate social media channels are merging. Born and raised in Sweden, Louise lives for cultural exchanges and experiences gained through travelling.

Susan Quain

Susan Quain

Fidelity International

Digital employee experience director

Susan Quain

Susan Quain

Fidelity International

Susan Quain is an award-winning digital director with over 25 years’ experience using technology, data and communications to get the most for employees and clients. Her most recent role of Digital Employee Experience Director at Fidelity International was to create a seamless digital experience for employees through streamlined processes and personalised communications, both considered important for hybrid working.

Susan enjoys seeing the outcomes of her passion to make working lives easier for workforces and has successfully led digital channels teams on complex digital transformation projects. She uses her leadership and influence to drive for change and never shies away from a digital challenge, if it’s going to provide real business outcomes.

In her personal time, Susan mentors young people (18-24) trying to elevate their careers. She loves hiking, weight training and meeting people from all walks of life.

Claudia Urquiola

Claudia Urquiola

Nauta Capital

Head of marketing & communications

Claudia Urquiola

Claudia Urquiola

Nauta Capital

Claudia Urquiola is Nauta’s Head of Marketing & Communications. She oversees marketing and communications strategy, including managing the website, social media, media relations, and email marketing activities.

Previously, she spent over seven years at Grupo Santander, most recently as Head of Secure User Experiences, focusing on cybersecurity. Claudia also worked at Finn Partners and Ogilvy Public Relations, developing strategies for various clients.

She holds an MBA from Fordham University and a BA from the University of Kent at Canterbury.

Patrick Von Sychowski

Patrick Von Sychowski

CinemaNext

Digital marketing & communications manager

Patrick Von Sychowski

Patrick Von Sychowski

CinemaNext

Patrick is Digital Marketing and Communications Manager for CinemaNext, the largest cinema installer and integrator in Europe, MENA and North America. Prior to CinemaNext he was a media analyst for Screen Digest and Celluoid Junkie, as well as heading business development for Deluxe UK and Unique Digital. He is the Co-Founder of Cultpix, a streaming service for cult films, and worked with SAWA (Screen Adverting World Association) on their Cannes Lions show for ten years. He is based in London and has previously lived in Mumbai and Singapore.

Zamir Walimohamed

Zamir Walimohamed

Motor Sport Magazine

Head of digital, marketing and subscriptions

Zamir Walimohamed

Zamir Walimohamed

Motor Sport Magazine

Zamir Walimohamed is the Head of Digital, Marketing & Subscriptions at Motor Sport Magazine. Zamir plays a pivotal role in driving Motor Sport Magazine's digital expansion and marketing initiatives. With a keen eye for evolving media landscapes, Zamir spearheads strategies that amplify the magazine's online presence, increase subscriber engagement, and maximise digital revenue streams. With a strategic and agile approach, Zamir leads the development and execution of cutting-edge digital strategies that captivate audiences and generate substantial revenue. His passion lies in crafting exceptional brand experiences that transcend platforms, ensuring a cohesive brand presence across various channels.