Results 2024
Individual Categories
CEO of the Year
Tamara Littleton
The Social Element
Founder and CEO
For 21 years, CEO Tamara Littleton has been a trailblazer in reshaping the agency landscape again and again. Identifying the potential of social media early on, she established The Social Element with a remote-first approach, fostering flexibility and inclusivity. This strategy enables The Social Element to attract a diverse talent poo...
Carly Avener
Leo Burnett
CEO
2023 was a big year for Leo Burnett. The agency put out some of the best and most famous ads of the year, including McDonald’s Raise Your Arches, won some of the biggest pitches of the year in Allwyn and Confused, and was named Campaign’s Creative Agency of the Year. Carly Avener has been central to the senior leadership team that has ...
Claire Hollands
MullenLowe UK
CEO
From the moment she changed her email signature from MD to CEO, Claire’s been both effective and influential across the agency, and our industry, in 2023. Her laser focus is ‘Creativity we are all proud of.’ And to achieve this, she used her change management superpower to bring together all of the UK Group companies under one ...
Karen Martin
BBH London
CEO
Karen Martin is a dynamic leader who has reshaped BBH for a new generation, while ensuring the iconic agency stays true to its extraordinary legacy. In 2023, Karen led BBH to achieve outstanding growth, deliver on its promise to Zag for its clients and the industry, and diversify across specialisms including health and design. U...
Kate Rowlinson
EssenceMediacom UK
CEO
This year, as CEO of EssenceMediacom, Kate Rowlinson was charged with the daunting task of leading EssenceMediacom through the largest ever merger in the media agency sector, leading an agency of over 1,400 people through rapid technological change, while building a respectful, diverse, inclusive culture that supports everyone through ...
Megan Morass
Full Fat Agency
Co Founder and CEO
Alongside co-founder Ella McWilliam, leads one of the UK's leading creative agencies and UK DE&I champion. Passionate about marketing and mental health, Megan has a keen focus on highlighting the impact marketers have on consumer behaviours. Megan has won Management Today 35 under 35 and was on the judging panel for this year's PRWeek ...
Susie Hargreaves OBE
Internet Watch Foundation
CEO
Susie Hargreaves OBE is CEO of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). It’s her belief that every child has the right to a happy, carefree childhood and her objective is to see a world free from child sexual abuse. She has facilitated this through the eradication of child sexual abuse (CSA) online via technological innovation, political a...
Conquering Creativity
Jo Moore
House 337
Executive Creative Director
Jo Moore has led her agency into a new era as House 337, delivering creative work recognised with a slew of awards at the likes of Cannes Lions, D&AD, and winning International Agency of the Year 2023 at the Kinsale Shark Awards. In 2023, Jo marshalled House 337 through a critical transition following its merger and pushed for th...
Gaby Kirk and Bridie Scriven
Digital Cinema Media
Creative and Production Lead
Together Bridie and Gaby are the female powerhouse behind DCM Studios, DCM’s creative arm focusing on the bespoke content, partnerships and experiences that elevate brands beyond traditional cinema advertising. Bridie is an award-winning creative producer who has worked across creative campaigns for agencies for over 12 years before ju...
Helen Rhodes
BBH
ECD
Thanks to Helen Rhodes’ creative leadership, BBH is not only the standard-bearer of creative excellence in the industry, in its 41st year, the agency is more diverse and provocative than ever. Under Helen in 2023, BBH delivered highly-effective work across a wide range of channels and entered one of the most creatively fearless periods...
Monica Hayes
BBC Studios
Vice President, Factual Marketing
Monica is a creative powerhouse who fizzes with energy, drive and innovation, always pushing boundaries to reach new audiences and ensure that our factual TV series stand out in a crowded marketplace. With the Planet Earth III global campaign, she raised the creative bar to a new high.
Nic McCarthy
Wavemaker
Global Head of Creative Excellence
Media agencies are often caricatured as creative backwaters, home to eye-watering spreadsheets and bad laptops; real creativity considered the domain of ad agencies. But in a platform era where more of the best work is not on TV – is earned and not paid-for – a new Media Creativity is emerging. It’s not an alternative to classic creati...
Raquel Bubar
The New York Times, Advertising Department
Managing Director, T Brand Studio International
Building affinity for The New York Times internationally isn’t just a sales exercise, it’s a creative responsibility. Raquel has led NYT’s international push into global creative partnerships and built its reputation for high-quality branded content around the world. The team has achieved recognition for its innovative campaigns with U...
Diverse Inclusive Workplace
Becky Ferraro
Deloitte Digital
Inclusive Design Lead
Inspired by her mother's daily challenges with multiple sclerosis, Becky Ferraro transformed her passion for inclusive design into ground-breaking initiatives at Deloitte. Establishing the Inclusive Design and Accessibility team, Becky's leadership has propelled the integration of inclusive design and accessibility into client projects...
Fiona Beauchamp
Bray Leino
Activation Director
Fiona has been the cornerstone of Bray Leino’s industry-leading ED&I programme, Open House. As the board-sponsor, she relentlessly pushes through change at a senior level, advocating for people across the agency who don’t have her sphere of influence. Every business faces a unique set of challenges. Fi has led the Open House tea...
Lauren Kay-Lambert
Shape History
Co-Managing Director
Shape History, the social impact communications agency, operates as more than a service provider, embodying a commitment to social impact at its core. As a majority women and LGBTI+ owned independent agency, we come up with ideas to create a fairer world, faster. Following a successful management buyout in 2022, our Co-Managing ...
Lisa Thompson
Wavemaker North
Business Director- Strategy Lead
Lisa is a truly worthy candidate for the Diverse-Inclusive Workplace award. With her proven track record in driving change both in Wavemaker and the broader advertising industry, she has pioneered in getting class on the agenda. Having found her passion for championing diversity when completing her IPA Excellence Diploma, her essa...
Rhiannon Lewis
Tag Worldwide
Managing Partner
Rhi is a hugely inspirational female figure in the commercial film production scene. On a mission to diversify the industry, where film sets are dominated by men, Rhi wants to change the lack accessibility for those without contacts trying to break into the industry. Rhi works with multiple companies on a variety of inclusivity ...
Shipra Roy
Wavemaker
Global Chief People, Inclusion & Culture Officer
Shipra joined Wavemaker in 2021 as Global Chief People, Inclusion and Culture Officer, to oversee all aspects of the people function to ensure that Wavemaker continues to attract the best talent and create great careers regardless of level, role or geography in the organisation that spans 7,000 people across 88 markets. She is a passio...
Entrepreneur of the Year
Kamiqua Lake
Coldr
CEO
Kamiqua Lake (Kam) is the epitome of an entrepreneur – principled, visionary, and not afraid to create the space she wants to occupy. Leaving the corporate world to start Coldr in 2020 was a calculated risk. Winning first client Oliver Bonas on Day 1, the consultancy embodies Kam’s values by helping clients create strategic approaches ...
Nicola Murphy
River Group Content Limited
Group CEO
Nicki is a serial entrepreneur of 30 years standing. In total she has founded or co founded 6 business all still successfully in operation and is launching another (a coaching business) in February 2024. Nicki is Group CEO of 3 London based marketing and advertising agency's - multi award winning, integrated marketing agency, River (se...
Selina Donald
The Bulb
CEO and Founder
Selina Donald is an award-winning sustainability pioneer. Her epiphany moment came while working on the London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies - bookends to the most sustainable Olympic Games-to-date. She realised events can deliver social and environmental good, but most aren’t planned with that consideration. Selina set-up...
Health & Wellbeing Award
Antonia Fox
Mail Metro Media
Head of Learning & Development - Media
Our Head of Learning and Development, Antonia Fox, is the driving force behind Mail Metro Media’s commitment to making health, wellbeing, and equality a central piece of every employee’s career. Since joining Mail Metro Media nearly 10 years ago, Antonia’s passion, energy, and focus have been infectious, championing staff consideration...
Avelon Thompson
EssenceMediacom UK
Head of DEI
Avelon Thompson offers support for countless individuals while shaping EssenceMediacom as an environment where people can truly feel they belong. Her understanding of the complex intersectionality that helps to define health and wellbeing in an organisation means that EssenceMediacom has a culture where people are supported at critical...
Charlotte Key
Smyle
People Experience Director
As Smyle's People Experience Director, Charlotte Key has been pivotal in transforming the agency’s approach to health and wellbeing over her seven-year tenure. For three consecutive years, her initiatives earned Smyle accolades from the Inclusive Workplace Programme and Campaign Best Places to Work. Charlotte’s strategy focused o...
Sarah Stead
Inspired Thinking Group
Head of Wellbeing
Sarah has been the Inspired Thinking Group (ITG)’s Wellbeing Director (in addition to being an essential part of our Tech team) for the last five years, and is the driving force behind our Wellbeing programme. On her watch, our Wellbeing support has gone from a series of initiatives to a brilliant, dynamic programme which is truly embe...
Making Media Matter
Claire McAlpine
EssenceMediacom UK
Head of Inclusive Planning
Claire is a visionary leader dedicated to ushering in pioneering a new era of inclusive media. With a strong commitment to systemic change, she champions Inclusive Media Planning and Buying, anchored in the principle of "nothing about us without us." Claire's unwavering dedication has led to industry-wide recognition, including the Mos...
Anne Coghlan
Scope3
COO and Co-Founder
Anne Coghlan’s influence and innovations will be permanently woven into the fabric of digital advertising. At AppNexus, she played a central role in developing the custom algorithms at the heart of most digital campaigns, scaling one of advertising’s most impactful innovations – programmatic. Now, the work she is doing at Scope3...
Eileen Mannion
Google’s Marketing Vice President UK & Ireland, EMEA Devices and Services and EMEA Events & Experiences
Eileen Mannion is Google’s Marketing Vice President in the UK & Ireland, EMEA Devices and Services and EMEA thought leadership events. Since joining in 2004, she‘s helped her function grow from 50 people to the team of 500+ today, opened offices across the region, and led teams in +25 countries. Eileen and her team are deeply committed...
Emma Newman
PubMatic
CRO EMEA
Emma Newman, Chief Revenue Officer, EMEA at PubMatic has served as a pioneer in the digital media space for over 20 years, including a 10-year tenure at Microsoft and senior leadership roles at AOL and Clear Channel UK. Over this time, she has cultivated extensive expertise in all marketing disciplines, digital communications, and busi...
Olya Dyachuk
Heineken UK
Data Driven Media Director
In 2023, Olya was shortlisted for the Making Media Matter award. In her entry that year, she promised to use media as a lever of growth for Heineken and a force for good in society. Under Olya’s leadership, her team has made a meaningful impact across the industry, supporting diverse groups through various initiatives. These inc...
Mentor of the Year
Ailsa Buckley
Havas Media UK
Managing Director
Ailsa is the sea that lifts all boats. Inspired by her then-unconventional route into advertising being a school leaver and having her own mentor propelling her forward is what’s spurned her passion in mentoring. She has been mentoring people since 2018. Ailsa’s credited as a champion behind numerous Havas learning & development...
Jade Dudley
Industry Manager
Jade is an excellent candidate for this award following her outstanding leadership in tackling the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, helping close the gender pay gap at Google UK. Jade spearheads Google's largest mentoring programme, which has seen tremendous success under her leadership. The programme has grown by 409%...
Davina Barker
Digital Cinema Media
Sales Director
Davina is an ambitious, trailblazing visionary who has transformed both the fates of cinema and DCM combining strong leadership with a bold, brave and agile approach to balancing commercial acumen with the required empathy to build a passionate, diverse and inclusive team. She has taken a sledge hammer to the perceived glass ceiling an...
Vicky Janaway
The Gate
Chief Client Officer
A voice for representation and equality, Vicky has continually championed women's voices to help future talent rise. Vicky is Chief Client Officer of The Gate, part of MSQ, the UK's fastest growing, creative, tech and media group and uses her role to support female talent across the group and is part of the DEI council. In 2023, Vicky ...
Rising to the Top - Advertising
Molly Burdett
Spindle
Director
Molly Burdett is rapidly making a name for herself as one of London's leading commercial directors. Molly, and the films she's made, have won multiple Best Director awards. But more importantly, her work has helped make meaningful real world impact; including helping change laws to combat violence against women, being shown in schools ...
Hannah Tudor
McCann Manchester
Social Creative / Copywriter
In 2021, Hannah joined McCann as a social writer, unfamiliar with the creative realm. In less than three years, her impact has made her a crucial part of our award-winning creative team. Professionally Hannah has had a year full of achievement, starting by winning the UK Young Lions Digital Competition and subsequently making the top...
Natasha Trewin-Marshall
Billion Dollar Boy
Senior Strategist
Natasha was Billion Dollar Boy’s second ever strategy hire and in just two years has been promoted to Senior Strategist and grown the global strategy team and strategy discipline within the agency. The team now provides strategic direction across 65 markets globally. She has been fundamental in winning some of the biggest client work i...
Rising to the Top - Marketing
Emily Kemp
FINN Partners
Director of Social Media
From Office Manager to Director of Social Media in just four years, Emily embodies the FINN ethos of ‘Amaze Every Day’. Her tenacity and pensive approach quickly earn respect and admiration from clients and colleagues, demonstrating a natural flair for digital activation backed up with thoughtful data to make sure her campaigns always ...
Nina Nguyen
GroupM Nexus
Marketing Director
Nina's journey from the challenges her immigrant parents faced in the UK under a less-welcoming government to her current role as Marketing Director at GroupM Nexus is marked by resilience and success. With a degree in International Politics and Economics, she began her career as an Insights Intern at the Huffington Post, thanks to a m...
Bekkie Hull
Two Stories
Co-Founder / Creative Director
Bekkie, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Two Stories, has not only established a thriving business but has also demonstrated exceptional early success. After university Bekkie gained valuable experience in several agencies, it soon dawned on her that all her creative directors were male. In 2019, she decided it was time to cha...
Chelsea Mtada
Amplify
Creative Strategist
Chelsea Mtada is a trailblazer for beauty and marketing, driven by experimentation, creativity, and diversity. Her adaptability, strategic acumen, and commitment to positive change make her a rising star in the industry. Her story is one of remarkable achievements and innovation in creative strategy. Chelsea’s career to date has...
Francesca Danczak
OVO
Head of Brand
Fran is Head of Brand for green energy tech company OVO. She’s helped support the brand through rapid growth - from 500,000 customers to over 4 million - and national crises - COVID and the current cost of living crisis. All whilst raising the profile of Brand within the organisation by forging relationships with the traditionally silo...
Hannah Winterbourne
Kraft Heinz
Senior Heinz Comms & Brand Build Manager
If anyone knows the recipe for an award-winning marketing campaign, it’s Hannah Winterbourne. A Senior Brand Manager for Heinz, one of the world’s largest food brands, Hannah collaborates with a team of 190+ creatives across 50+ markets, channelling the irrational love people have for Heinz into tangible, insight-led creative that forg...
Rising to the Top - Media
Molly Towers Mode
EssenceMediacom UK
Senior Associate Director
Molly Towers Mode is the youngest person at EssenceMediacom to become a Senior Associate Director, having joined the agency as an apprentice – bypassing the traditional university education route which dominated advertising until very recently. Molly’s career achievements include award-winning work for major advertisers like The Coca-C...
Ella Britton
Total Media and Behave
Strategy Director
Ella is an exceptional talent, and her influence has already made a profound impact on our agency. Beginning her career as the 'Graduate of the Year' at JWT (now VML), her ascent through pivotal roles, notably at the BBC amidst unprecedented challenges, before transitioning to Strategist at Total Media, underscores her exceptional driv...
Lauren Cooney
Skyrise
Senior Trading Manager
Lauren Cooney is a 26 year old Senior Trading Manager with Manchester-based Skyrise, the audience design and targeting platform. Having joined as a Trading Assistant in 2019 Lauren has risen to her current position, and is now responsible for training and onboarding executive team members in Trading. She leads the team on some o...
Erica Beer
Sage
Global Strategy Director
Since joining Mindshare as a Biddable Account Executive in 2019, I have supercharged my way through four promotions across two FTSE 100 client accounts within one of the world’s largest media agencies, ultimately becoming the Global Strategy Director that I am today. I am proud to embody Mindshare’s three core values: Energy, Empathy...
Sophie Vassiliou
OPEN Media
Account Director
Sophie Vassiliou is currently working as OPEN Media’s Account Director, after finding her passion for OOH during a placement year at University, making such a great impression that she was offered a full-time role before even finishing her studies. The diligence and authenticity that underpins Sophie’s role is evidenced both by her con...
Veronica Moro
UM
Senior Manager, Comms and Culture, UM EMEA
Vero joined UM two years ago into a marcomms role and in a short space of time has revamped the agency's approach to marketing, in particular its employer brand. Her proactivity, passion and willingness to learn has set her apart as a true Rising Star and a champion of collaboration, community and inclusive culture. Her impact h...
Rising to the Top - Technology
Nicole Storey
Hookflash
Experimentation Director
Nicole is an exceptional individual who began her journey early, skipping a year to enter university at 17. She earned a first-class honours degree in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin. Her career took off at Merkle|Periscopix, where she quickly became a Google expert, delivering top-tier web analytics solutions for clients....
Magda Domagała
UNIT9
Experience Strategist
On joining production & innovation studio UNIT9 in January 2022, Magda jumped headfirst into the world of immersive tech with zero experience - aside from a genuine obsession with anything to do with the future. She now works at the intersection of people, culture and technology as a much-valued Experience Strategist on the Experience ...
Paige Coulthurst
Soap Media
Operations Director
Paige is a rising star who exemplifies leadership, initiative, and dedication. After graduating with a degree in Management and Information Technology, Paige dove headfirst into gaining experience in digital marketing and UX design. She quickly expanded her skills in web design, project management, and operations. Her drive to continuo...
Transforming Technology
Nikky Hudson
Nano Interactive
Head of Product – Data & Programmatic Services
Nikky's contributions to technology are undeniable. Her strategic vision propelled Nano to new heights, but her true impact goes beyond financial results. She's a driving force for innovation, leading the charge on solutions that address critical challenges in the tech world.Her groundbreaking work includes Intent Personas, the first t...
Natalie Carder
Zenith
Head of Paid Social, Global Clients
Natalie, a global team manager of over 100 social specialists, emphasizes leveraging data and technology to provide measurable value for clients. Identifying a competitive advantage in the agency's substantial media investment, Natalie sought to unlock its potential by addressing siloed operations and limited data analysis capacity. Co...
Rebecca Sykes
The Brandtech Group
Partner
Rebecca (Bekki) Sykes is one of the leading global voices in Generative AI marketing. She spearheads Gen AI at the world's #1 Gen AI marketing company, The Brandtech Group, which owns Pencil, the only Gen AI company to be powered by $1BN media spend, across 4,000 brands, since 2018. Today, Bekki is working with many of the world’...
Catherine Chappell
Mediahub UK
Head of Platforms and Investment
Cat is on a mission to democratise technology and remove the barriers that prevent people believing they can participate in this space. Basically, she smashes all the highfalutin mystique out the way so that all our agency and our clients can innovate in the tech space. Her approach landed us a Campaign Tech Award in 2023, accelerated ...
Laura Kell
Havas Media Network UK
Chief Data and Product Officer
In her role as chief data and product officer at Havas Media Network UK, Laura Kell leads transformative initiatives in data and analytics (DNA), becoming the UK's most senior woman in the field. Focused on democratising technology, she shifted Havas from a supplier-centric model to embedding a culture of DNA throughout the agency, fos...
Natalie Furness
RevOps Automated Limited
CEO
Natalie has been described as ‘inspiring’, ‘authentic’ and ‘fearless’, and after setting up her first company at 18 we can certainly agree. She founded RevOps during lockdown, seizing the opportunity to fulfill her ambition of building a company focusing on finding transformational technology data solutions to provide better processes ...
Sophie Pemberton
Talon
Group Chief Strategy Officer
The Out of Home (OOH) sector is going through rapid transformational change fuelled by data proliferation and digital development. This dynamic evolution has enabled Talon to change the game and despite no previous experience in the field, I decided to take responsibility for developing our proprietary technology and lead the charge in...
Visionary Business Leader
Sarah Parkes
Talon
Group Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
Sarah Parkes is a visionary business leader making a profound impact at Talon and the wider media industry. As Group Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Talon, she is a dedicated advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in the media industry. Serving as the board sponsor for Talon's "Belong" DE&I committee and holding board ...
Harriet Knight & Hannah Penn
Pablo
Joint Managing Directors
Hannah and Harriet continue to keep building a fresh agency model without waiting for permission. They’re the Joint MDs who’ve taken Pablo from an unknown agency 5 years ago, to Campaign’s Global Independent and UK Independent Agency of the Year, 2023. This formidable power couple, led Pablo again to grow faster than any other UK agenc...
Nilesha Chauvet
GOOD Agency
Managing Director
Nilesha Chauvet is Managing Director of GOOD, a Purpose-driven creative agency servicing commercial brands, not-for-profits, and charities. She is a visionary, high-impact, results-driven leader with global integrated marketing & communications expertise. Since her arrival at GOOD, the agency has grown 60% (45% within the first 12 mont...
Carina Filek
Elevate Global
Chief Operations Officer
Starting as a Staffing Director 15 years ago to her role today as Global COO, Carina’s played a pivotal role in Elevate's success story and journey. She led the company’s expansion into five international markets, achieving an impressive 123% revenue growth in the US branch over three years, despite industry challenges. Currently, Elev...
Gemma Spence
VML
Global Vice President Commerce Transformation
Gemma Spence, an intrapreneur and innovator within eCommerce, epitomises visionary leadership. She has defied stereotypes as a neurodivergent leader who encourages diverse perspectives as a catalyst for creativity and innovation. No stranger to building from the ground-up, Gemma became Omnicom Media Group's youngest CEO and Found...
Jennifer Lambert
Klick Health
Managing Director, EMEA
Ad agency veteran Jennifer Lambert is a visionary, culturally-connected business builder and leader who’s spent 30 years challenging norms at some of the industry’s largest network agencies. As Klick Health EMEA Managing Director, she’s leading the European expansion of a whole different kind of agency (independent, at that). She’s hel...
Oya Mustafa
Recipe
Business Development Director
Oya has a unique story, one that defies the narrative that was written for her, both in terms of her culture's expectations but also of social standards. As a British Turkish Cypriot, Oya was born into an extremely privileged household. At the age of 9, she was left homeless alongside her mother and three brothers. Oya had to gr...