Judging

Each year a selection of elite CEOs and senior marketers are secured to decide who will walk home a coveted YouTube NZ Marketing Award.

The judging panel looks for brand and marketing initiatives and projects that are clear examples of marketing leadership, innovation and excellence.

Judging for all the Marketing Excellence Awards, Marketing Campaign Awards and the Individual Awards take place over two rounds.

Convenor of Judges 2025

Michael Friedberg

Founder/CEO

Flux B2B

International Judge for the Brand of the Year Award 2025

Thomas Barta

Marketing Leadership Thinker. Speaker. Author

Round 1 Judges 2025

Name	Job title	Company
Aaron Goldring	Experience Design Director & Creative Director	Ogilvy One New Zealand
Adrian Green	Head of Consumer and Business Insight, Digital Marketing and Merchandising	McDonalds Restaurants (NZ)
Alex Leece	Digital Director	engage iQ
Alexandra Laven	Head of Marketing	Bidfood
Ally Young	Brand Lead	Spark
Amy Bennett	Head of Marketing	Kiwibank
Andrew Hughes	Global Head of SEM	Xero
Andrey Arestov	Marketing Automation Lead	Sky Network Television
Angela March	Managing Director	Brainchild
Ben Paul	CEO	The BD Ladder
Ben van Rooy	Founder & Director – B2B Sales & Marketing	Human Digital
Bernadette Murphy	Head of Fundraising	Blind Low Vision
Bhavna Prentice	Global Marketing Manager – OSA	Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
Briana Millar	Client Experience Manager	Tonkin + Taylor
Charlotte Sangster	Head of Brand	Westpac New Zealand
Chelsea Martin	Account Manager	Brand Spanking
Chris Boyle	Managing Director	Mighty
Christine Abbott
Claire Atkinson	Marketing Manager – Residential	Genesis
Clint Bratton	Managing Director	Clemenger Un
Dale Koerner	Strategic Marketing Chapter Lead	Blue Ocean
Dan Shaw	Managing Director	Perceptive
Daniel Hopkirk	Managing Director / Partner	Crave Global
Danielle Dyson	Head of Marketing – Dairy	Goodman Fielder
David Norman	Head of Insights/Analytics	DB Breweries
Deepika Lanigan	Senior Marketing Manager	Xero
Diane Clark	Head of Brand, Proposition & Marketing – Customer Engagement	Foodstuffs NZ
Diane Gamble	Consultant	Vita Brevis Professional Services
Dominique Touchaud	Director of Marketing and Business Development	SHOKUNIN
Ebony de Thierry	Account Director	Les Mills International
Elizabeth Pinfold Reed	CEO	Good CX
Ella Fairley	Marketing & Comms Manager Advisor	Lion
Evaan Miocevich	Head of Account Service	Dentsu Creative
Fran Bellingham	Founder / Head of Growth	Virtual Marketers
Gareth Codd	GM Tech, Product & Data	MediaWorks
Gillian Johnston	Co-Founder	Snapshot Research
Graeme Douglas
Graham Gilbert	Head of Paid Search	Pure SEO
Haley Featonby	Senior Marketing Manager – Brand & Creative	2degrees
Jane Skerman	Head of Marketing	AUT
Jane Smallfield	Founder and Fractional CMO	PopUp Marketing
Jarad O’Hara	Founder/MD	Insiders Agency
Jason Anderson	General Manager	Brave Digital
Jason McKay Williams	Partner	Shotover
Jessica James	Head of B2B Market Development	Squirrel
Jiarn Cornwell	CEO	Creative Consultants
Joanne Neville	Communications Manager	ACC
Joanne Rickman	Marketing Manager	Rabobank
Jon Edmonds	General Manager – Digital	Touchpoint Group
Joseph Judd	Head of Strategy	TBWA\New Zealand
Joseph Silk	Partner	Chemistry
Josie Parden	Marketing Manager	La Marzocco
Kamilla Camilo	Senior Marketing Manager	Dole New Zealand
Kamran Kazalbash	Brand Manager	One New Zealand
Kate Murchison	General Manager	Principals Branding Agency
Kath Knight	Independent Senior Consultant	Geyser
Katherine Jensen	Senior Executive/Marketing & Innovation	Cubro
Kelley Toy	Head of Marketing and Communications	Sport NZ
Keri Merrilees	Head of Marketing & Communications	Air New Zealand
Kerry Whitehouse	Managing Director	Brandspec
Kevin Ptak	Manager, Marketing and Communications	Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects
Kim Pick	Group Executive Creative Director, New Zealand	VML
Lauren Stanley	Principal Campaign Advisor	Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand
Leanne Too	Marketing Director	Restaurant Brands – KFC
Leigh Benvie	Brand Lead	McDonald’s NZ
Lew Bentley	Owner	Headlight
Lisa Broderick	Global Martech Implementation Manager	Flight Centre
Lisa Dean	Chief Marketing Officer	EMA
Lisa East	Managing Director	Matter Social Agency
Louise Bennie	Senior Marketing Manager	ANZ
Louise Bentley	Managing Director	Energi Advertising Holdings
Lucy Bailey	Marketing Director/GM Marketing/CMO	Fonterra Brands NZ
Lucy Bell	Marketing Manager	University of Otago
Mandy Oosterbroek	Brand Lead	SBS Bank
Maria Tyrrell	Director	Marble Consulting
Mark Newell	Direct Marketing Specialist	New Zealand Post
Mark Vaughan	Customer Insights & Experience Manager	Mitre 10 (New Zealand)
Mat Wylie	Founder/CEO	Customer Radar
Mia Matulic	Industry Manager, Travel	Google
Michelle Haynes	Strategic Growth Executive \| Fractional CCO/CMO
Mike Keech	Director, Business Development	Live Nation APAC
Morgan Jones	Head of Marketing	Popeyes NZ
Nathalie Moolenschot	General Manager	Animates Vetcare NZ
Nick Boulstridge	Founder / Managing Partner	MrB 01 Digital Consultancy
Nicki Shirley	B2B Marketing Leader
Nicky Greville	Managing Director	Spark Foundry NZ
Nikki Burgess	Managing Director	The Sports Shop
Paige Wilkinson	Global Marketing Manager	Fonterra Co-operative Group
Perry Bernard	Managing Director	RankPower
Pia Colby	CEO	Ideas and Action
Pip Casey	Strategy & Insights Director	Lion
PJ Morris	Head of Marketing & Insight	Fletcher Building Concrete Division
Quentin Weber	CEO	Unbound
Rachel Alexander	General Manager	Alexanders Digital Marketing
Rachel Crockett	Media Performance Manager	TikTok
Rachel Howie	Digital Manager	RealNZ
Rhona Clark	Marketing Consultant & Freelancer	Unleashed Software
Richard Aitken	Head of Marketing	FMG Insurance
Roberto Campos	Creative Lead	Agency Ingram Micro NZ
Russell Duncan	Senior Marketing Lead	EECA
Sally Falconer	Head of Marketing	TVNZ
Sam Excell	Partners and Alliances	Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Sarah Austin	Marketing Manager New World Retail & Shopper	Foodstuffs NZ
Sarah Bartholomew	GM Marketing	RealNZ
Sarah Melrose	Creative Director	Milk
Sharon Abbott	Head of Data & Analytics, Institutional Banking	ANZ
Shaun Fay	Creative Director	Beside The Seaside
Solange Francois Bason	Communications & Marketing Manager	McAlpine Hussmann
Sonya Macmillan	Senior Campaign Executive	Metlifecare
Sorrel Davies	Senior Digital Marketing Manager	Lotto NZ
Stephanie Quantrill	Chief Brand Officer	Cue Marketing Partners
Steve Ballantyne	Managing Director	Brand IQ
Steve Sutherland	5th Qtr & B2B Customer Marketing Manager	Silver Fern Farms
Sue Kipling	Head of Strategy	YoungShand
Susannah Winger	Brand Lead	One New Zealand
Tanmay Desai	CEO	Truestock
Terri van Schooten	CEO	Verve
Tessa Tripp	Head of Marketing	TRA
Thomas Darlow	Executive Creative Director	Bad Magic
Tiffany Kong	Kaiwhakahaere Whakatairanga Brand Marketing Manager	Kiwibank
Tim Rosenbrook	Business Director	Gecko Marketing
Tom Sykes	Strategy Director	Principals Branding Agency
Tracey McKay	Marketing Manager	Coca-Cola Europacific Partners NZ
Valerie Walshe	Head of Marketing	TVNZ
Vanessa Morris	Managing Director	The Retirement Commission
Vanessa Williams	General Manager	Hamilton Central Business Association
Vesna Nixon	Head of Brand and Marketing	TSB New Zealand
Virginia Bashford	Communications Manager	Tauranga City Council

Round 2 Judges 2025

Name	Job title	Company
Aaron Goldring	Experience Design Director & Creative Director	Ogilvy One New Zealand
Adam Daysh	Head of Marketing	Fullers Group
Adam Ferrier	Founder / Consumer Psychologist	Thinkerbell
Alexandra Laven	Head of Marketing	Bidfood
Alison Wheatley-Mahon	Head of Fundraising & Marketing	Heart Foundation
Ally Young	Brand Lead	Spark
Amy Knightley	Director of Marketing & Communications	New Zealand Story
Amy Phillips	GM Marketing & Design (CMO)	BNZ
Amy Walliss	Head of Marketing & Publicity	Auckland Council
Andrew Kay	Director	Skinny Marketing
Anna Lawrence	GM Brand, Marketing and Media Partnerships	Auckland Transport
Ben Cochrane	Managing Director	The Business Marketing Group
Brid Drohan-Stewart	Director, Brand & Marketing	Woolworths NZ
Carl Sarney	Independent Strategist	Sarney Strategic
Caroline Ah Chong-Douglas	General Manager, Sales & Marketing	SkyCity Entertainment Group
Caroline Briars	Managing Director	Funkin Cocktails
Carolyn Schofield	Consultant	BrandScience
Catherine Harris	Chief Executive	TBWA\New Zealand
Christine Abbott
Clark Wilson	General Manager Marketing	Restaurant Brands NZ
Cornelius Boertjens	CEO	Pure SEO
Danielle Dyson	Head of Marketing – Dairy	Goodman Fielder
Dave Pearce	GM Marketing	2degrees
David Thomason	Consultant	DT Strategic
Dominique Touchaud	Director of Marketing and Business Development	Shokunin
Fiona Cresswell	General Manager – Marketing Operations	Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
Fraser Shrimpton	Marketing Director	DB Breweries
Georgia Mahaffie	GM of Brand and Marketing	One New Zealand
Giselle Bleakley	Head of Marketing and CX- New World	Foodstuffs NZ
Glenn Dougal	Director	Wave Agency
Grace Blewitt	GM Brand & Marketing – Acting	Air New Zealand
Grant Maxwell	Founder	EightyOne Media
Grant Torrie	National Director – Marketing & Communications	Colliers New Zealand
Hamish Mitchell	CEO	Mitchell Consulting
Hannah Merritt	Strategy Director	PHD Aotearoa NZ
Helen Steemson	Digital Copywriter	Words for Breakfast
Jacqui Hurdley	Head of Brand, Insight & Marketing Communication	NZ Post
James Kyd	EGM of Brand and Marketing	Xero
Jarad O’Hara	Founder/MD	Insiders Agency
Jen Rolfe	Managing Director	Rainger & Rolfe
Jo Mitchell	Marketing Director/GM Marketing/CMO	The Warehouse
Jon Edmonds	General Manager – Digital	Touchpoint Group
Jonathan Allen	Head of Strategy	OMD New Zealand
Joseph Silk	Partner	Chemistry
Karin Glucina	Managing Partner	TRA
Katherine Jensen	Senior Executive/Marketing & Innovation	Cubro
Kirstin Wilson	Manager Marketing Operations, NZ Direct Brands	IAG
Leah Neilson	Head of Brand	New Zealand Lotteries Commission
Leann Smith	Head of Marketing	Burger King New Zealand
Lew Bentley	Owner	Headlight
Lindsey Brittain	Director	Turas Consulting
Lisa Broderick	Global Martech Implementation Manager	Flight Centre
Liz Geor	Head of Ads Partnerships	Google NZ
Louise Bentley	Managing Director	Energi Advertising Holdings
Luke Smith	Connected CX Tribe Lead (General Manager)	Spark New Zealand
Matthew Lee	Strategy Director – Data & Tech	FCB Aotearoa
Matthew Pickering	Managing Director	ANZ
Matty Burton	Group CCO AU/NZ	DDB
Meagan Tuckerman	Chief Marketing Officer	Momentum Life
Melanie Spencer	CEO	Thompson Spencer
Melissa Soich	Group Marketing Manager	FAB Group
Michael McGlynn	Principal Digital Consultant	Tonkin + Taylor
Michal Petrus	Head of Clients & Marketing – National	BDO New Zealand
Michelle Haynes	Strategic Growth Executive \| Fractional CCO/CMO
Michelle Lumsden	Brand Lead	Westpac New Zealand
Mike Keech	Director, Business Development	Live Nation APAC
Monique Matthews	National Marketing Operations Manager	Colliers New Zealand
Murray Streets	Principal and Founder	Filament
Nick Boulstridge	Founder / Managing Partner	MrB 01 Digital Consultancy
Nicola Dennison	Chief Marketing & Product Officer, Airport Rentals & Motorhome Republic	Webjet Group
Nikki Burgess	Managing Director	The Sports Shop
Paul Scoringe	Director of Marketing and Engagement	World Vision
Rachel Alexander	General Manager	Alexanders Digital Marketing
Raphael Chaitwa	Strategic Planner / Research Manger	TBWA\New Zealand
Regan Grafton	Chief Tinker and Co-Founder	Thinkerbell
Richard Stevens	Specialist Business Broker – I Sell Businesses	ABC Business Sales
Rob Harvey	Chief Executive Officer	dentsu Aotearoa
Rosina Webb	Founder	Energise
Rufus Chuter	Managing Partner	Together
Russell Duncan	Senior Marketing Lead	EECA
Ryan Jordan	Head of Strategy	Bastion Shine
Sandra Geange	Member of APAC Advisory Board	CMO Council
Sarah Lukins	General Manager, Digital	Fisher & Paykel Appliances
Sarah Melrose	Creative Director	Milk
Sarah Sandoval	GM Consumer, Retail & Marketing	NZ Post
Sharon Moffatt	Senior Transformation Manager	SBS Bank
Shaun Fitzgibbon	Managing Partner	TRA
Simon Hofmann	General Manager, Brand and Marketing	Kiwibank
Simon Laird	Head of Sales and Partnerships	Google New Zealand
Steve Main	Director Brand – Brand Strategy & Capability	Auckland University of Technology
Sue Kipling	Head of Strategy	YoungShand
Tanmay Desai	CEO	Truestock
Tim Cullinane	Head of Strategy	Saatchi & Saatchi
Tom Sykes	Strategy Director	Principals Branding Agency
Vanessa Morris	Managing Director	The Retirement Commission
Vivian Bryant	Director	BRAND Spanking
Wayne Pick	Creative Partner	Quantum Jump