Judges

With a demonstrated 18-year track record in strategic planning and delivery, Alka specializes in Corporate Communications, Brand & Tactical Marketing, Media Relations, Reputation Management and Stakeholder Communications.

As Vice President, Destination Marketing & Communications for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Alka is tasked with elevating the profile of the northern Emirate in the UAE and ultimately driving the destination’s vision of becoming a sustainable destination by 2025 and reaching 3 million visitors annually by 2030.

A travel and hospitality expert, Alka’s career has taken her from Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel to Accor, one of the largest hotel operators worldwide. It was during her time at Accor where she was the custodian of 30 brands and oversaw a portfolio of over 350 hotels across 36 countries.

Alka holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from McGill University in Canada. She is the recipient of numerous awards – Middle East’s Brightest & Most Influential PR Professional from PR Week (Power Book 2020), and PR & Marketing Person of the Year and Green Hotelier of the Year from Hotelier Middle East Magazine.

Amelia is a proven communications leader with 20+ years of experience in independent and global agencies, in Australia and the UAE.

While her experience and passion lies predominantly in integrated brand work, she supports clients with corporate reputation management, strategic communication and client advisory across a wide range of sectors including fintech, financial services, FMCG, retail, automotive, streaming and entertainment, sport, tech, telco and consumer healthcare.

Bridget, co-market leader at BCW Africa, has over 30 years’ experience in public relations.

Her expertise and proficiency across the African continent spans all aspects of communication including communication strategy development and implementation, reputation management, media relations, crisis communication and event management. She has worked with clients in various sectors including financial and business, bustech, environmental management, health and pharmaceutical, mining, technology, energy, oil and gas.

After running her own very successful agency for over 2 decades, Bridget joined the BCW team (see to be known as Burson). In addition to her business development role, her key responsibilities are Corporate Reputation, Crisis communications, Sustainability counsel, and PA.

Committed to the PR profession, Bridget is a seasoned international judge of PR industry awards, a committee representative of the PRCA Africa Network and the ICCO President of Africa region in which capacities she drives collaboration between consultants and practitioners across on the African continent.  She is an APR, a Fellow of PRISA and PRCA and a recipient of the coveted PRISM Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the PRISA President’s Award.

Graduated in Journalism from Antonio de Nebrija University in Madrid, Spain, and postgraduated in Marketing from the London School of Business and Finance, she boasts a diverse educational background, including specialized training in strategy, crisis management, and protocol.

With over 16 years of dedicated experience in corporate and institutional communications, she has become an expert in positioning and reputation management. She has carved her professional path in both the corporate sector, where she served as Communications Director for various esteemed organizations, and as a consultant, guiding and supporting companies across different industries in crafting comprehensive communications and public affairs strategies.

Her commitment to the field extends beyond consultancy, as she regularly shares her insights and expertise in various business and educational forums dedicated to communication, such as the Ibero-American Communication Congress and the Human Capital Tour, and collaborates with organizations like the Women Economic Forum or the 30% Club’s mentorship network to support the growth of female executives.

She also has an active presence in the media landscape, as a columnist for Forbes Ecuador and engaging in collaborations with publications like La Nota Económica in Colombia, among others.

Nowadays, she is Vice President at Atrevia for the Andean Region, Mexico and Brazil, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Quito, Vice President of the binational chamber federation, and Vice President of PRCA Latam.

Daisy is managing director of Templemere PR, a London-based specialist reputation management and PR consultancy that works with businesses in the international travel industry.

Having graduated from Oxford University in 2013, Daisy has worked in PR and communications for a decade. She has successfully formulated and executed award-winning international communications strategies for a range of businesses within the travel sphere, from leading global airport lounge operators to travel tech providers and trailblazing advanced air mobility start-ups.

Daisy has been nominated for ‘PR business leader of the year’ at the 2024 TravMedia Awards, and ‘professional of the year’ at the 2024 PRCA Dare Awards.

With over 22 years of experience in communications and marketing, Everton has spearheaded impactful projects for brands such as Netflix, IBM, Unilever, Warner, HBO and Novartis. Currently, is responsible for integrating Untold_ agencies in Brazil, while also serving as a partner at Ágora, The Juju, Quiddity, and Fogdog.

Hilmarie is CEO of Matrix Public Relations.

She is a 20+ year veteran of communications and management, with experience in multiple regions including Australia, Denmark, South Africa, USA & UAE. Hilmarie counsels a wide range of clients, from various industries including finance, technology, retail, and fashion.

Hilmarie focuses her attention on supporting and building the team while driving the broader business objectives, planning, and strategy. She is well-traveled, multilingual, and has a Bachelor’s degree, which she completed summa cum laude.

Hilmarie has served as a judge for both regional and international public relations awards throughout the years.

Jamal is the Founder and Managing Director of Gambit Communications, and in just five years has disrupted the industry leading them to 60 trophy wins including seven agency of the year titles and international success in Cannes.

With over 17 years of PR experience across agency and client side, Jamal’s career before founding Gambit Communications took him to senior roles at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Dubai Holding. He has judged on industry panels for over ten years.

Jessica Man is the Managing Director at Sinclair, an independent communications agency in Asia specialising in PR, social media and experiential marketing. With over 100 brands under her direction, Jessica has leveraged her experience from some of the world’s largest global communications agencies to enhance her integrated PR strategies for both B2B and B2C clients.

Jo is a globally experienced communications professional, with expertise in luxury, travel, tourism, and hospitality PR. Currently Vice President at Burson based in Dubai, Jo oversees a variety of regional Middle East clients in addition to working on key projects for the agency. Prior to this role, Jo was Riyadh based as Global PR & Communications Director for Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

Khaled AlShehhi is a transformational marketing leader who’s reshaping and humanizing Government communications, strengthening the UAE’s reputation as an incubator for pioneering developmental, humanitarian, cultural and knowledge projects. He has changed the way UAE government communicates, producing original, innovative, and creative content that has positively impacted the lives of millions locally, regionally, and globally.

His creative strategies have resulted in the UAE Government Media Office being awarded over 200 awards at some of the most prestigious creative and marketing shows around the world, including Cannes Lions, LIA, CLIO, ONE Show, Dubai Lynx and WARC. Accolades include: the UAE Government Media Office achieving an unprecedented dual honour, Brand and Agency of the Year Globally in the 2022 AME Report, by the New York Festival’s AME Award, recognized as the most outstanding single client performance worldwide in 2022 at the Cresta Awards, ranked the no.2 brand across Africa and the Middle East in the Loeries Official Ranking for 2021 and 2022 and ranked the No.4 Agency of the Year in the 2022 Communicate Agency of the Year Ranking. His unique approach to creativity has made Khaled an important and inspiring speaker around the world; sharing the story of how governments’ creativity can be turned on.

He has earned leadership roles at the Global CMO Growth Council established by Cannes lions and the ANA, New York Festival AME Advisory Council, Brand Advisory Board (BAB) for The World Media Group, Strategy Board Member in the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) and Executive Board Member in The Public Relations and Communications Association.

As the UK MD at WE Communications, Laura spearheads the agency’s brand and corporate reputation efforts, with a focus on technology and health sectors. With 18 years of agency experience, she leads a team of over 60 who deliver work for clients like Intel, LEO Pharma, FSC, Microsoft, Elsevier, and iRobot.

Maureen has over 30 years’ experience developing, managing and delivering results-driven communications activities for her clients. As managing director of Southeast Asia, Maureen’s is tasked with building a strong presence in this high-growth region. Her main remit is to support and grow multi-country integrated communications programs and high value-consulting for clients across various industries.

Having worked on many global and regional programs, Maureen also brings to the table a wealth of experience and an international perspective to her teams and clients. She enjoys training the next generation of communicators and gives regular talks at universities and other tertiary institutions. Maureen is also one of Campaign Asia’s Women to Watch for 2023 and the Institute of Public Relations Singapore’s (IPRS) Outstanding PR Leader for 2023.

Moliehi is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the public relations and reputation management sector. As the Managing Director of Magna Carta Reputation Management Consultants since 2007, Moliehi has built a reputation as one of Africa’s leading advisors in this field.

With a proven track record of advising some of Africa’s blue-chip clients, Moliehi provides strategic counsel to boards and c-suite executives on critical reputational issues. She is known for her expertise in crisis management, having successfully navigated some of the country’s high-profile national crises under her leadership.

Moliehi’s leadership has been instrumental in Magna Carta’s success, with the agency winning numerous awards and being named the best mid-size agency of the year by the PRISM Awards in 2022. Her commitment to excellence is evident in her oversight of the agency’s Africa operations, which has a footprint in 18 markets across the continent.

As a visionary leader in her field, Moliehi is committed to driving the highest standards of professionalism and ethics in public relations and reputation management. Her extensive experience and strategic insights make her an invaluable asset to any organisation seeking to enhance its reputation and build stakeholder trust.

Moliehi sits on numerous boards, including Northam Booysendal Community Trust, as an independent trustee. Outside of South Africa, Moliehi is the non-executive director of BHM UK and part of the PRCA Global Advisory Board.

Preeti is a corporate communications and reputation management specialist, with more than 18 years’ experience working across various industry sectors in the UAE and beyond.

Preeti currently works as Corporate Communications Director, International at AstraZeneca, supporting MEA, Asia, LATAM and other regions with building and protecting AstraZeneca’s corporate reputation, ensuring the effective and consistent use of messages and content across relevant channels. Prior to joining AstraZeneca four years ago, Preeti was Managing Director at Houbara Communications (formerly Grayling), and has also previously worked at Hill + Knowlton Strategies, where she began her career.

Samantha has over 20 years of experience in PR and integrated marketing. She is National Managing Director for Ogilvy South Africa and has held a number of leadership positions in communications at MSL, Magna Carta and Dimension Data.

Her client experience spans both corporate and consumer organizations based in South Africa and abroad. These include the likes of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Life Healthcare, P&G, South African Breweries, Afrocentric, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Deloitte, Momentum and Telkom and many more. Samantha motivated by mentoring and working with the new generation of PR professionals.

Sue is a Managing Partner at WPP’s Clarion Communications with over 25 years of industry experience, specialising in customer and B2B, global and national strategy development. Her career to date has been spent across various sectors, including retail, leisure & travel, health & wellbeing and FMCG. Working for household names such as Wickes, Ford, Reckitt Benckiser, InterContinental Hotel Group (UK & global) and Alton Towers Resort.

Growing up between London and Hong Kong, she has a deep admiration for the cleverness and creativity that it takes to tell stories that break through culture and make a lasting impact. Creativity is the red thread to her own work and, as a result, is well fuelled and recognised at Clarion.

Outside of work, Sue is a governor at a local primary school, focused on equalities & PSHE.