Judges Comments
Best leader in Marketing (Brand)
Winner: Victoria Bennet, Marketing Director, Barclays Private Bank
Victoria is such a wonderful example of a leader at the forefront: inspiring and trailblazing for her team. A champion of dynamic working, Victoria has been incredibly progressive in her leadership approach and her outlook has helped drive genuine, significant change within the wider group.
Victoria is unequivocally a driving force for diversity and an outstanding leader Lindsay West, who works with her says that Vix is ‘always inspiring and trailblazing for her team’
Best leader in Marketing (Agency)
Winner: Danielle Bassil, CEO Digitas UK
When Dani stepped into the CEO role at Digitas her leadership created a seismic shift in culture. Old boys-club agency habits were whipped into shape and a new era began. Dani’s leadership style is inspirational, progressive, flexible and inclusive and her senior team is now perfectly gender balanced with a female Chief Creative Officer at the helm. Dani continues to push the diversity agenda and the next chapter for Digitas includes a new apprenticeship scheme to ensure opportunities are genuinely accessible to all.
The One to Watch
Winner: Alice Yu Yeobo, Regional Marketing Lead, Why Innovation!, Singapore
A recent article we read and loved on Alice’s Linked-in Alice, (who is also a mother) talks about the way children who take on challenges have a growth mindset and that she’d rather be the kid who treasure hunts across rows of challenges and finds gold along the way, than picking up ripe fruits from the tree.
Alice – as the winner of the ‘one to watch’ and we truly believe from all that we have read about your meteoric rise and your 360 approach to marketing that we will be watching you for a long time.
Change Maker (Brand)
Winner: Lisa Lugo – VP Integrated Marketing & Creative Solutions Live Nation, UK
As the 1st female VP in the history of the Brand Partnership Team Lisa has been instrumental in taking her Live Nation team into a new era. Her unique love of insight, design, PR and digital has redefined their packages for brand partners and the end customer/fan experience with staggering growth results. With zero staff turnover, Lisa is an inspiration within the global brand and acts not only as mentor but also a leader of the Live Nation’s internal diversity initiatives
Change Maker (Agency)
Winner: Alessandra Di Lorenzo – CEO Forward UK
Alessandra is a total powerhouse! Hugely dynamic, very quick to spot a business opportunity and constantly thriving for the next evolution. The incredible growth of her global team and the centralised position she has carved for her business unit are testaments to her strength. Building a publishing business AND an agency model are individually massive challenges but Alessandra has brilliantly delivered both at Lastminute.com. She is the epitome of a Change Maker.
Her power advice – which we love – is don’t be scared to pursue a career, be tenacious, stand up for yourself and be prepared to fight!
Independent Consultant
Winner: Abigail Dixon, Founder Labrinyth Marketing, UK,
Clearly a class above consultant. Doing impressive work but balancing it with a strong teaching practice. She’s giving something back and is involved in improving the marketing world generally for peers. Impressive use of measurability to prove her achievements. Strong entry.
People describer Abigail as having a ‘confident, positive can-do attitude together with open, honest and friendly approach’
As well as an exceptional marketing professional, Abigail is a trained coach and mentor, committed to supporting those within the marketing industry
Best Marketing Leader in Creating Change in Health & Wellness (New for 2019)
Winner: Claire Gillis, CEO International WPP Health, UK
Claire is talented, driven but also incredibly empathetic. The holistic approach to wellness she has instilled across the business is quite incredible.
She’s passionate about health and helping people to access better – to such an extent we wonder if she should have been a GP!
As a consequence of her background as a pharmacologist and health economist she’s rare breed of advertising leader with her feet firmly in medicine and her head in creativity.
Health & Wellness Public campaign (New for 2019)
Winner: Marla Altschuler, Creative Director & Co – Founder Cantine & Co, UK
Innovative thinking and doing exemplifies Marla, this campaign on donating blood for the NHS illustrates that with impressive stats congrats Marla you are an asset to the Industry
Date2Donate – using social and celebrity influencers to inspire young people to ‘donate with a mate’
Judges loved that Marla is both an ‘innovative thinker and a ‘innovative do-er
The Campaign: Check out #Date2Donate on social channels including YouTube
Equality Advocate of the Year
Winner: RussLidstone – Group CEO The Creative Engagement Group, UK
What’s most admirable about Russ is his contribution to driving Diversity and Inclusion, not only at his company TCEG, but across the industry. Through his mentorship of youth, Ross has shown commitment to the growth of future leaders from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that organisations of tomorrow adequately represent the markets that they operate in. Though Diversity and Inclusion has most recently become quite a hot topic, it’s heart warming to see that Russ has been an advocate for gender diversity for many years – leading conversations on the representation of women in advertising. Further evidence of his advocacy can be seen through all of the changes that Russ has made internally at his own organisation TCEG, for which has been aptly rewarded through his many accolades. We hope that Russ goes on to inspire the next generation of male leaders to follow in his footsteps and be strong advocates for a fair and equal industry and society at large. Thank you for all you are doing Russ.
Inspirational Leader in Customer Experience
Winner: Alicia Tillman – Global CMO SAP
The Judges admired her commitment to understanding her customers’ needs and wants, and her belief that the principles of B2C marketing can be applied to a B2B role. SAP has definitely had a transformation in perception over the past couple of years, and it seems that a lot of that was driven by Alicia,Alicia has been listed in Forbes as one of the top 50 Influential CMO’s
WIM Journalist of the year
Winner:Maja Pawinksa Sims, EMEA Editor, Holmes Report
In an industry where all too often women are given a sell by date (particularly when they have children) her entry proves how empathy can drive brilliant editorial thinking. Her passion for taking on issues such as the gender pay gap is clear. It’s clear that for Maja D&I is central to her ethos as a journalist not just an afterthought. She is clearly an absolute expert in her field.
Through the tone of her work she proves that you can challenge an industry while also championing it.
The Industry Shaper
Winner: Debbie Ellison – Chief Digital Officer Geometry UK
The judges said Debbie has had an enormous impact in her career already and is still creating new innovative ways to help businesses and inspire future generations. Impressive stuff.
Debbie, who has clearly started a lot of initiatives and gone above and beyond her role
Michelle Whelan, CEO Geometry UK says of Debbie: Debbie is forward-looking and entrepreneurial, inspiring teams and clients alike. On top of all that, she is a passionate champion of diversity and inclusion. We are hugely proud to recognise this very special person.”
The work via OysterCatchers.COM
Special Award For Outstanding Contribution to Marketing (Brand)
Winner: Lisa Jedan VP – Global Brand communications, Bacardi Ltd
An early champion of influencer marketing, Lisa has absolutely galvanised the Bacardi group’s global communications strategy. She forged a path through the business by proving her model works and by collecting advocates and ambassadors. Lisa also spearheaded a Spirit Forward summit inspiring women and men alike that you don’t need permission to make a change. Throughout Lisa’s career she has been a trail blazer for diversity and therefore absolutely deserves this recognition
Special Award For Outstanding Contribution to Marketing (Agency)
Winner: Christina Knight. CEO The Amazing Society A/B, Sweden
From an actress to a film studies student..
Christina has played an outstanding role in championing women, not just in Sweden, but recognized globally, through her book ‘Mad Women – Herstory in Advertising’
She is Creative Director at ‘The Amazing Society’ in Stockholm – a great and successful fusion of digital, creative and media, with a ’social first’ mission, all under one roof.
WIM COMPANYOF THE YEAR 2019
Mishcon de Reya
Mishcon de Reyasets a gold standard in Diversity and Inclusion. In a male dominated industry the percentage of women in senior marketing leadership roles successfully challenges the status quo. The company clearly puts Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of its company ethos and values; a fact which is evident in its commitment and investment in training and continual improvement.
From representing Carrie Gracie, who resigned from her much loved post as BBC China correspondent to highlight unequal pay across the broadcaster, to embracing agile working and shared parental leave Mishcon de Reya has been at the forefront of building a progressive and inclusive company