Judging Panel

Chief Revenue Officer – Channel 4

Veriça joined Channel 4 as Chief Revenue Officer in November 2020, after spending over 20 years in media planning and buying agencies. Starting her career at MediaVest in 1998 before moving to MEC in 2002, Veriça joined PHD UK in 2009 to run the Sainsbury’s business. She became MD in 2013, before being promoted to CEO in April 2017. Veriça has always had a great love of television and was thrilled to have the opportunity to lead Channel 4’s commercial team.

Chief Marketing Officer – Channel 4

Zaid Al-Qassab has been Channel 4’s Chief Marketing Officer since September 2019 and leads Channel 4’s marketing, comms, product, 4creative & 4Studio teams. Zaid is also the Exec responsible for Inclusion and Diversity at Channel 4, and Channel 4’s representative on the Board of Creative Diversity Network. Zaid is a non-executive Director and Council Member of the Advertising Standards Authority, and a Board Trustee at charity WaterAid.

Paralympic Medalist, Journalist and father

Born in Lagos Nigeria and raised in East London, Ade survived polio as youngster. Contracting the virus at just 15 months old he began to lose the use of his legs, and aged three his parents migrated with him to the UK. Ade went on to succeed as an international Paralympic wheelchair basketball player and renowned broadcaster. Ade’s work has taken him across the globe; going undercover with C4’s Dispatches, reporting foreign affairs for Unreported World and more recently fronting the ground-breaking BBC Two Series, Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline.

Editor-in-Chief – Campaign

Gideon has been UK editor-in-chief of Campaign since March 2020, after joining the advertising magazine in 2015 as head of media and becoming global head of media in 2017. He has previously worked for the London Evening Standard, The Independent, The Times and CNN and is a former chair of the Broadcasting Press Guild, a national association of journalists who cover the broadcast industry.

Commercial Director and Inclusion Lead – The Advertising Association

Sharon Lloyd Barnes is the Commercial Director and Inclusion Lead for the Advertising Association. Previously, she ran magazine ad sales teams in London and New York before co-founding The Drive Partnership, a consultancy working with businesses across a range of sectors to build profitable growth. In addition to her commercial role at the Ad Association, Sharon leads on the All In campaign – an initiative to ensure that everyone in the UK advertising workforce feels they belong.

Associate Director, Diversity – The IPA

Leila leads the IPA’s diversity strategy; at the forefront of innovation and change for the UK’s advertising industry by galvanising a stellar line up of passionate individuals from within the top advertising agencies, brands and clients, trade associations and experts with the mission to achieve diversity, equal rights and inclusivity in Advertising. She runs the IPA Talent Leadership Group and leads on The IPA’s Stepping into the Spotlight series, partnership with the Unstereotype Alliance and the iList.

Executive Director of Strategy, Impact and Social Change – Scope

James is Exec Director of Strategy and Social Change at the disability charity, Scope. He is responsible for Scope’s communications, campaigning, strategy and insight. James is disabled himself, having Spina Bifida since birth. Before Scope, James worked at Which? And headed the LGBT charity, Stonewall, campaigns function. James is passionate about inclusion and representation of seldom-heard voices in media and advertising. And has worked with major brands like Virgin Media and Paddy Power on tackling inequality through advertising.

Founder – The Outsiders

Steve is the Founder of The Outsiders and an award-winning researcher who specializes in culture, diversity, hard to reach and communications insight Steve is an ex-account planner and used to head up strategic planning for Government behavioural change accounts He is disabled, neuro-diverse, from an Irish Traveler background and suffered a nervous breakdown fifteen years ago. Considering the world through lenses of difference is very natural to him. He has conducted a number of projects within the disability space for Argos, Diageo, Bodyform, Mars, Plenty Scope, and TFL. Steven is the Chair of MRS Social Inclusion Group, Joint Chair of MRS Unlimited (MRS disability group) and is the founder of The Cultural Insight Forum.

Head of Media and Diversity Lead – ISBA

Bobi leads ISBA’s TV & Video strategy, helping to drive industry change on key advertiser issues within the TV, video and wider media landscape. Previously to ISBA, Bobi led the AV and partnerships teams at the7stars driving forward innovation and growth. She also served as the UK Commercial Director of The Walt Disney Company from 2010 to 2017, following senior positions at Viacom and Sky Media.

CEO Thinkbox

Following a successful career in advertising , Lindsey’s love of telly drew her to Thinkbox, the UK marketing body for commercial TV, where she now leads the brilliant team who make it their mission to help brands get the best out of today’s TV. She is a member and former President of WACL, a member and former President of the Global TV Group, a Fellow of the Marketing Society, an Honorary Fellow of the IPA and a member of the Marketing Group of Great Britain.