Meet Our Judges
Co-chairs
Susan Irving
CMO
Kruger Products
Susan Irving is an industry leader with a passion for brands and a reputation for delivering business results through strategic integrated marketing campaigns. As Chief Marketing Officer for Kruger Products, Susan is responsible for leading the marketing team to set the vision, strategic direction, and drive business performance for all Kruger Products brands and marketing activities in Canada and the United States. She is also a key member of the company’s executive team.
Susan is an accomplished, award-winning senior marketing executive with over two decades of experience leading many successful and well-known brands at Warner Lambert, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo. She has a strong passion for brands and building high-performance teams. She is a strategic business leader with experience spanning all aspects of business management and consumer marketing, including brand strategy, advertising and communications, P&L management, media planning, digital, social media, innovation, consumer insights, as well as sports and event marketing.
As an accomplished marketer, Susan has been recognized with several industry accolades including CMAs, Cassies, Cannes Lions, Effies, The Bessies, Clios, Media Innovation Awards, and Canadian New Media Awards. She was also among Marketing Magazine’s prestigious Top 30 Under 30, Canada’s Strategy Magazine 2020 Marketer of the Year, the Canadian
Marketing Association 2021 Marketer of the Year, Canadian Grocer’s 2022 Senior Star Women, and won Bronze at the prestigious Stevie Awards for Women in Business - Female Executive of the Year in 2023.
An avid sailor, Susan was a member of the Canadian Sailing Team, having campaigned for the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. She was the President of the Leaside Hockey Association Board of Directors where she served for seven years; the current Jury Chair for The Globe and Mail’s Cannes Young Marketers Competition; North American and Global Grand Prix Jury Chair for the WARC Awards in association with Cannes Lions; a judge for several industry award shows including the 2023 Cannes Lions Entertainment Sports Jury; a keynote speaker for North American conferences; and a committee member of WISE Canada (Women in Sport and Entertainment). She is also a member of the Canadian Women and SportBoard of Directors and the Ontario Hockey Federation Board of Directors.
Sabaa Quao
President
PlusCo Venture Studio
Jury
Andrea Cook
CEO
Jam CRM
With 25 years of communications experience, Andrea is an agency founder and industry leader in the art of connecting brands to consumers through innovation. Equal parts data geek and creative storyteller, she's known as a change agent and visionary with relentless drive and a track-record of creative and business success.
Her agencies have earned more than 400 awards for creativity and effectiveness, including Effies, D&AD, Clios, Webby, 21 One Show Pencils and 26 Cannes Lions. She was recognized for “Leading the Charge” in Campaign’s 2020 Female Frontier Awards and was nominated for executive of the year for by AdAge A-List in 2021. In 2022 she was awarded Campaign 40 over 40.
After founding two globally celebrated agencies FCB/SIX and Performance Art, Andrea made the move more deeply into AI and technology in 2024, taking the helm of North American CRM Agency JAM. Specialists in the art of connected consumer, Andrea and her team are positioned at the forefront of the industry, driving AI and CRM innovation and integration across client partners in North America.
Alice DiGiovanni
President
Wavemaker
Alice DiGiovanni is President, WPP Media; Wavemaker brand, where she leads the agency’s Canadian operations, fostering growth, innovation, and a culture that empowers teams to do their best work. In her role, Alice guides the Wavemaker brand in delivering forward-thinking, results-driven media strategies that help clients thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
With over two decades of experience spanning both media and creative agency leadership, Alice has been a driving force in the industry’s evolution — championing innovation, embracing emerging technologies, and helping brands navigate change with clarity and confidence. She believes media is a powerful connector, woven into every interaction between people and brands, and sees endless opportunities to create meaningful impact through smart, creative thinking.
Beyond her leadership at WPP Media, Alice serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Media Directors’ Council (CMDC) and plays an active role in its Women in Leadership for Advertising and Tech chapter. She is a dedicated advocate for advancing the industry, mentoring future leaders, and ensuring diverse voices help shape the future of media.
As a judge for the Atomic Awards, Alice brings a discerning eye for work that challenges the status quo and sets new standards for creativity, technology, and innovation. She looks forward to celebrating ideas that inspire change and demonstrate the power of bringing together the best platforms, people, and partners to deliver extraordinary results.
Glen D'Souza
Head of Creative
72andSunny
Lianne George
Principal
Navigator
Lianne is a communications leader, journalist, and content strategist with over 20 years of experience in media and brand storytelling. She is a Principal at Navigator, where her focus is narrative and reputation. Previously, she launched an award-winning PR and content division for Rethink, where she worked with clients in the financial, CPG, and tourism sectors.
Lianne has led strategic communications for a major university think tank focused on the innovation economy and, through her own consultancy, she has helped brands and organizations connect with audiences via meaningful, strategy-led multichannel storytelling.
As a journalist, Lianne has led some of Canada’s biggest publishing brands. She served as Director of Lifestyle Content for Rogers Publishing and Editor-in-Chief of Chatelaine, where she oversaw a digital transformation that propelled the iconic magazine to Canada’s #1 women’s digital media brand. She has helped reimagine national news outlets like Maclean’s and Canadian Business, and create new editorial brands from scratch, like The Grid, TorStar’s internationally acclaimed city weekly.
Lianne’s feature writing has appeared in publications including Report on Business, Maclean's, and New York magazine. Lianne was awarded the inaugural Grand Prix Editor of the Year award at the 2018 National Magazine Awards in Toronto.
Matt Houghton
Digital and Integrated Marketing Leader
Interac
Matt Houghton is the Digital and Integrated Marketing Leader for Interac, where he oversees advertising campaigns, digital channels and content, and always-on marketing. Matt works closely with stakeholders across the organization to build programs in support of key business priorities and commercial products, and to maintain trust and audience consideration for the Interac brand. He is a marketing, media and communications leader, with expertise in strategy development, creative execution, and channel planning across platforms. Prior to joining Interac, Matt has held leadership roles at organizations including Publicis, Bell Media, Red Bull and Publicis.
Alistair Leyland
Founding Partner
Array of Stars
As a founding partner and strategic growth leader at Array of Stars, I deliver interactive, immersive, and innovative experiences to brands, businesses, and agencies. With over 15 years of experience in creating bridged experiences that straddle the virtual, digital, and physical world, I am passionate about leveraging creativity, strategy, and technology to drive meaningful business results.
I have a multidisciplinary background in storytelling, computer science, media arts, filmmaking, industrial and product design, and health innovation. I have completed programs at MIT, Harvard Medical School, Boston University, Canadian Film Centre, and the International Academy of Film. I have also developed partnerships, created proposals, and executed ideas with talented makers, doers, producers, creatives, strategists, writers, directors, cinematographers, digital artists, light artists, musicians, sound designers, actors, dancers, athletes, fashion designers, and dreamers. My mission is to create something mesmerizing, brilliant, and highly effective that harnesses the power of spatial and immersive computing for brands who need to thrive in this modern digital economy.
Kitty Luu
Director, Marketing
Porsche
Leslie Malcolm
VP, Marketing
Molson Coors
As VP of Marketing at Molson Coors Canada, Leslie Malcolm brings bold thinking and a deep passion for brand building to some of the country’s most iconic beverages. With over a decade of experience at Molson Coors, she has led transformative work across Coors Light, Molson, Miller Lite and more – driving growth, relevance, and cultural impact.
Leslie’s leadership has fueled breakthrough campaigns like Coors Light’s “Case of the Mondays” and Molson’s “See Her Name,” which have earned widespread acclaim and recognition across top global creative and industry awards. Her work consistently blends creativity with commercial success, modernizing legacy brands and launching new platforms that resonate with today’s drinkers.
She’s known not only for her strategic vision, but for empowering her teams to chase bold ideas and unlock their creative potential. Leslie’s approach to leadership is rooted in collaboration, clarity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence – qualities that have made her a driving force in Canadian marketing.
Deborah Neff
VP, Product & Marketing
Starbucks
Deborah Neff is a seasoned marketing executive with over 27 years of experience spanning retail, beauty, and consumer packaged goods. She brings a deep expertise in the end-to-end customer journey and product lifecycle, with a proven track record of building iconic brands and driving business growth.
Deborah began her marketing career at General Mills, where she brought joy to breakfast tables by selecting toys for kids’ cereal boxes. Over eight years, she worked across a wide portfolio of brands before moving to Revlon, where she successfully revitalized the brand and gained international experience working in New York.
Her passion for understanding the full customer experience led her to Sephora, where she defined and built a distinct Canadian brand identity. Under her leadership, Sephora launched memorable campaigns that earned the company Strategy Magazine’s Brand of the Year in 2021.
Deborah later transitioned from lipstick to lattes, joining Starbucks as Vice President of Product & Marketing. Over the past three years, she has led the development of
impactful campaigns, including the current “It’s Never Just Coffee” platform, which resonates deeply with Canadian consumers.
Andres Norambuena
Partner, Executive Director, Experiential and Brand Activation
LG2
A pillar of brand activation and experiential projects in Canada, Andres brings nearly 25 years of experience in national and international multimedia production. Prior to working at LG2, Andres developed and headed BLVD-MTL, a multidisciplinary studio providing sound, post-production, video and experiential design services, which was sold to Rodeo FX in 2021.
His leadership has been instrumental in directing the teams behind numerous brands and names, including Cirque du Soleil, Céline Dion, the Montreal Canadiens and Mastercard, as well as museums such as the National Air and Space Museum, the Cosmodôme, the McCord Museum and the Insectarium.
His studio has been recognized by prestigious awards such as the Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, Marketing Awards, ADC Awards, Idéa, The One Show, NUMIX and
Ad Age.
Benjamin Playford
Creative Director
McCann
Ben Playford is a Creative Director, Design Director, Art Director, and Designer at McCann with nearly 20 years of experience crafting award-winning ideas for brands large and small.
Jessica Savage
CEO
North Strategic
With more than 20 years of experience, Jessica is an expert in corporate strategy, C-suite thought leadership and crisis communications. She has acted as a trusted advisor for some of the most recognizable brands in North America, including Samsung (Canada and U.S.), P&G, General Motors, Kruger Products and Sleep Country Canada to build or rebuild positive brand sentiment and trust with consumers and key stakeholders. Over the past few years Jessica has helped traditional brands navigate and adapt activities through the emerging fintech and data privacy space. Curious by nature, she’s spearheading MSL, North Strategic and Notch video clients on embracing AI enabled strategies that drive talkability and influence. A lover of sports and travelling, she believes adventure always awaits those who seek out new experiences.
Nicole Tapscott
Chief Commercial Officer
Knix
Prior to Knix, Nicole was CMO at Mejuri, the category-defining fine jewelry brand, designing everlasting luxury pieces for everyday wear and redefining the way women purchase jewelry - for themselves. During her 4 year tenure at Mejuri, Nicole experienced 4 years of double digit revenue growth, developed a loyal customer base of 2.3 million customers- shipping over 5 million shipments across 97 countries with a repeat rate of 45% in an industry where on average people are buying jewelry once every 3 years. With over 1.2M Instagram followers, Mejuri’s marketing team has a globally recognized community that connects with and grows their audience through both in-person and digital experiences.
Prior to Mejuri, Nicole was Vice President of Canada at Casper (NYSE: CSPR), where she launched and scaled Casper’s largest international market, establishing the sleep brand globally, and contributing to the IPO. Prior to that, she was a Director at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, responsible for launching the organization’s social media strategy. Nicole began her professional life as a management consultant with Accenture, launching new media initiatives for large North American Companies. Nicole holds an MBA from INSEAD and an Honours Business Administration (HBA) degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario.
Amin Todai
Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer
OneMethod
Shortlist Jury
Daianara Amalfitano
Chief brand and product officer
Aldo
Mark Arvai
Director of brand marketing
Clutch
Mark Arvai is Director of Brand Marketing at Clutch, Canada’s largest and fastest growing online car retailer. In just a couple of years, he’s helped Clutch grow from an ambitious startup to a brand Canadians know by name, helping fuel triple-digit year-over-year growth. He leads a team spanning brand storytelling, media, retail, and partnerships with organizations like the NBA.
Mark brings 14 years experience across both agency and in-house strategy roles. His career began in advertising, where he worked across Australia and Canada on brands such as Amex, Volkswagen, Virgin Australia, Johnson & Johnson, Škoda, Kraft Heinz, and H&R Block.
Later, he turned his focus to food and helping build two CPG upstarts — Queen St. Bakery and Acid League — into international brands now sold in thousands of stores across North America.
Mark is drawn to problems that sit at the intersection of creativity and consumer behaviour
Rosa Checchia
CMO
Dairy Farmers of Ontario
Rosa Checchia is the Chief Marketing Officer for Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) where she leads a dedicated team focused on dynamic growth by connecting Canadians with dairy farmers and reminding consumers of their love for dairy.
An accomplished marketing executive, with more than 25 years experience in marketing and dairy, Rosa has a proven track record of leading high performing teams and creating brand strategies that drive consumption and usage, resulting in overall business growth.
At DFO, she directs the marketing, dairy education and nutrition teams as they strive to nourish
Ontarians and nurture love for dairy with a focus on increasing relevance, strengthening industry perception and helping young people re-embrace milk. Under Rosa’s leadership, DFO’s innovative marketing strategies also includes the deepening of the multi-year partnership agreement with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment by becoming the first jersey sponsor of the Toronto Maple Leafs, contributing to delivering 17 billion impressions in the Ontario market alone.
Prior to joining DFO, Rosa was Vice-President of Marketing, Total Cheese & Tablespreads Division at Lactalis Canada, where she led the merger and acquisition of the Kraft Heinz Natural Cheese business into Lactalis Canada, the largest dairy acquisition ($1.6 billion) in Canadian history.
Rosa began her career as a Customer Service Representative for Ault Foods, progressing through senior roles in sales and marketing, as she supported the business transition of ownership to Parmalat Canada and then Lactalis Canada. Throughout this 20-year period, she played an instrumental role in growing the Canadian market while launching award-winning products and delivering profit back to the business. This included promotion of the Black Diamond Cheestrings brand in Canada, which became a global brand for Lactalis, and gained recognition for being the most trusted brand, receiving numerous new product and advertising awards.
Rosa has made a valuable contribution to the grocery industry over her career and in recognition, was awarded the Star Women of Grocery 2019 award. She has also volunteered her time as an active member of the Toonies for Tummies Steering Committee for The Grocery Foundation.
Noella Choi
ACD
FCB/SIX
Noella is a strong believer that beautiful design must work hand in hand with user experience — that one cannot be sacrificed for the other. She has built her career around crafting meaningful consumer connections and digital experiences through the creative use of data and emerging technologies. She has won numerous awards – notably the ‘me too.’ Act Too campaign—for which she received AToMic Gold in Best Digital Engagement, Bronze Clio in Digital/Mobile, and Silver Lion in Creative Data.
Travis Cowdy
Founder and Chief Creative Officer
Fellow Human
Saverio D'Angelo
Director of digital marketing
Conair
Saverio D’Angelo is a seasoned marketing strategist known for shaping digital growth and creative excellence across some of Canada’s leading consumer brands. As Director of Digital Marketing at Conair Consumer Products ULC, he collaborates across in-house teams and external agency partners on national initiatives for Cuisinart, Conair, and BaBylissPRO — building campaigns that merge data, design, and storytelling to connect with consumers.
With deep expertise in performance marketing, e-commerce, and brand transformation, Saverio has helped redefine how iconic brands engage audiences across platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Canadian Tire. His work blends creativity with insight — transforming everyday moments into meaningful brand experiences that build loyalty and drive results.
Stephen Flynn
Creative Director
Wunder
After working at multiple advertising agencies in Atlantic Canada Stephen realized he was not getting the opportunity to do work he was truly passionate about. So in 2017 he co-founded Wunder. He believes that every brief is an opportunity to do something great, regardless of the client or budget size. In the past 8 years he helped take a 2-person agency with no clients, to the one of the top 20 agencies in Canada. Along the way, his work has won numerous awards, been covered by some of the biggest publications around the world, and garnered over 500 million earned media impressions for Wunder's clients.
Noyan Hilmi
Director, media partnerships
WPP Media Sports & Entertainment
Marty Hoefkes
Creative Director
Broken Heart Love Affair
Marty Hoefkes is a globally-awarded copywriter who has worked at Leo Burnett, FCB, and is now a Creative Director at Broken Heart Love Affair. In that time, his work has been honoured at Cannes, the One Show, D&AD, Clios, and many other local and international shows.
Some notable highlights from his career include creating breakthrough work for World Vision, ROM, CDSS, Lotto Max, Air Canada, BMO, TD, IKEA, Mr. Clean, and Gain, staying partnered with the same art director since he started (hi Mike), producing only one ad that he's truly embarrassed about, and once receiving an award for having received the most awards.
He hopes to one day see the Earth from space.
James Kawalecki
Vice President, Marketing
Boston Pizza
After over a decade on the Agency side, James moved to the Dark Side and has been at BP for over 13 years. One thing has remained consistent throughout his career, the desire to do best-in-class work that builds the Brand and the Business.
Arthur Kononuk
Co-Founder
Tentree
Arthur Kononuk is an award-winning creative director and entrepreneur, best known as the Co-founder of tentree. Named an Entrepreneur Of The Year™, he remains a dedicated environmentalist, marketing and strategic advisor, and impact investor.
Lorraine Liu
Group Creative Director
Ethnicity Matters
My role as an art director won’t conjure up any images, but the portfolio and track record as a multiple award-winning advertising creative director most certainly will.
I have worked at local & international agencies across Canada and Hong Kong for over 20 years. Bringing a wealth of experience in multicultural consumer insights,
My works include industry-recognised campaigns for multiple clients, and have been awarded and short-listed in major industry award shows such as Cannes, Adfests, and more.
I have participated in judging multiple international creative awards.
Ashley McKenzie-Barnes
Creative Director & Curator
D.PE Agency
Ashley brings over 20 years of experience as an award-winning creative director and curator, with a diverse background in design, cultural programming, education, and visual and public arts. As the founder of D.PE Agency (Diverse, Progressive, Experiences), a boutique creative agency committed to reflecting a vibrant, inclusive community—driven by innovation and trusted by global brands—she champions impactful storytelling, memorable experiences, and transformative branding.
Her artistic projects and cultural initiatives have partnered with a wide range of clients and institutions, including CIBC Square, EY, Universal Music, the City of Toronto, Nuit Blanche, Harbourfront Centre, Scotiabank, TEDx Toronto, PepsiCo, Manifesto Festival, Johnnie Walker, Bombay Sapphire, 19 Crimes, Truly Seltzer, and renowned artists like Lauryn Hill, among others.
Under her leadership, D.PE Agency has led rebranding, creative, and marketing strategies for brands such as Sankofa Square and Now Playing Toronto, powered by Destination Toronto. She has also overseen brand refreshes for Ontario Culture Days, developed comprehensive 360° campaigns for CBC, redesigned Herizons Magazine—Canada’s leading feminist publication—and crafted the book cover for Rev. Al Sharpton’s Righteous Troublemakers: Untold Stories of the Social Justice Movement in America.
A sought-after speaker, moderator, and facilitator, Ashley has appeared at prominent events and forums including MLSE, Elevate Festival, Caribbean Film Festival Trinidad & Tobago, Art Toronto, Blaxpo, RBC, IDS (Interior Design Show), OCAD, Ontario Arts Council, The Artist Project, TDSB, UofT, Nia Centre for the Arts, Artscape, and many others. Her insights have been featured on numerous platforms, including NOW Magazine (on the cover), CP24 News, CityTV, Global News, CTV News, Sirius XM, Metro Mornings, Newstalk 1010, CBC Radio, Jazz FM, CIUT 89.5 FM, BlogTO, Toronto.com, the Globe and Mail, Elle Magazine, Toronto Life, Toronto Star, Fashion Magazine, UofT Scarborough News, The Kit, Toronto Star, Share Magazine, Afrotoronto, and more.
Ashley’s unwavering dedication to inclusivity and innovation continues to shape Toronto’s cultural landscape, inspiring communities and fostering meaningful engagement across generations.
Doug Muir
Executive Creative Director
Proof Experiences
Currently Executive Creative Director at Proof Experiences, Toronto, Doug has held creative leadership positions at some of the most dynamic integrated advertising & marketing agencies in North America. With extensive experience crafting award-winning and memorable work for brands like Heineken, Adidas, Gap, Molson Coors, Interac, Tim Horton's, Ferrero, Nissan / Infiniti, Samsung, LG, Coca Cola, and Sony PlayStation, Doug has always imbued consumer relevance and meaning into the work as an imperative... regardless of channel. Prior to leading agency creative teams, Doug was also Creative Director and a founding member of Okayplayer.com, an urban music media outlet, artist hub and online community, the brainchild of Questlove (The Roots, Jimmy Fallon Show).
Joseph Nanni
CCO
Community
Joseph Nanni is the Chief Creative Officer of Community Agency in Toronto. He has worked in virtually every category across disciplines for big and small agencies; he's also been a client and worked as a director in film and TV. Nanni's experiences fuel a passion for cross-industry innovation, uplifting creative voices, and moving the industry forward.
Tricia Piasecki
Creative Director
Publicis
Tricia Piasecki is a Creative Director at Publicis Toronto, leading the creative vision for Visa Canada.
Over her 20+ years in advertising, Tricia has been breaking boundaries with her strategically led ideas. A creative through and through, Tricia graduated from McMaster University with a BAH in Fine Arts and has since dedicated her career to bringing thought-provoking ideas to life and creating change.
With a host of global brands under her belt, Tricia has been recognized and awarded nationally and globally; Best in Show at FAB Awards, Epica, CMAs, and ADCCs; and has served as an Effies jury member.
Aside from being creative, Tricia is most known for mentoring up and coming creatives and her philanthropy efforts where she handcrafts toys for kids and donates a portion of the sales to Canadian charities.
José Rivas
Group Creative Director
VML
Jessie Sorell
Executive Creative Director
Narrative XPR
Jessie is an Executive Creative Director at Narrative XPR, a division of Tadiem. Since 2018 (minus two mat leaves) she has bolstered the comprehensive competency of the agency, bridging creative, experiential and strategic PR expertise to bring some of Narrative XPR's most notable and award-winning campaigns to life. Her contributions have helped to earn Gold at the 2019 Strategy PR Agency of the Year Awards and a 2023 & 2025 shortlist nomination. Jessie joined the Tadiem family in 2007 and has been biking to work ever since (rain, snow or shine). Between back-to-back meetings, proverbial fire-fighting and relentless mediocrity when it comes to child-rearing, she meets monthly with her amateur wine club to hone her skills at detecting 'forest floor' and 'barnyardy' notes.
Morgan Tierney
Partner, Executive Creative Director
Rethink
Morgan is a Partner and ECD at Rethink Vancouver. She came to Rethink as an intern in the summer of 2012, and just never left. A writer by trade, Morgan has led the creative charge on major Canadian brands like A&W, Shaw, and Destination Canada, plus plenty of nimble work for beloved West Coast brands like Playland, Science world, and the Vancouver Canucks. Her work has been recognized by Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Communication Arts, The Advertising Design Club of Canada, Applied Arts, Marketing Magazine, and her mom, Cindy.
Hannah Wilkinson
Director, Global integrated marketing
Destination BC
Hannah Wilkinson is the Director of Global Integrated Marketing at Destination British Columbia, where she leads the go-to-market and digital strategy for the province under the globally recognized Super, Natural British Columbia brand. A seasoned marketing strategist, Hannah has led award-winning campaigns and crafted best-in-class integrated strategies across a range of industries. She is known for her innovative, collaborative, and data-driven approach to driving impact through marketing.