2026 Jury

Ben has over a decade of Effie awards, involvement and recognition. In 2012 Ben helped Amnesia Razorfish to become the first digital agency to win an Australian Effie. He then went on to Co-Chair the Australian APG and reshape the Australian Effie categories twice with the local steering committee. More recently as CSO and co-owner of AnalogFolk Australia Ben led the agency to no less than 7 local Effie Finalists, as well digital, social and content APAC agency of the year awards. In 2021 the agency won a Gold APAC Effie for Hyundai #4secondreviews, which went on to represent the region at the global best of the best Effie awards. In 2024 Bastion acquired AnalogFolk Australia to ‘redefine the landscape of digital marketing services’ and recently launched Bastion DBX - led by Ben Hourahine and Matt Robinson – their specialist Digital Brand Experience unit.

Chris Iki has more than 28 years of experience as a marketing professional, working on managing global brands in the U.S. and overseas.

After joining TBWA\ in 2004, Chris was assigned to work on the Nissan global account based in Tokyo out of TBWA\HAKUHODO International, formerly called G1\Worldwide. Over the course of 8 years, as the Global Account Director, Chris led the Nissan global account team in Japan and worked closely with TBWA\ agencies across 14 countries, including the US and Europe.

Chris started his career at Wunderman in New York working on the American Express Platinum and Optima Cards. During this time he also served as a key member of the team that launched the Optima Card in Japan. Since then, Chris has worked on clients such as VISA International / USA, National Football League, Apple, Gore-Tex, United States Postal Service, Harrah’s Casinos, and AT&T, all of which has provided for his unique combination of management, branding and holistic communications credentials.

As the Chief Operating Officer of TBWA\HAKUHODO, Chris continues to lead the agency down its path of success, including its tenth year of being named Japan's Creative Agency of the Year and 2018, 2020 and 2024 Agency Head of the Year by Campaign Magazine.

Jan B. Oudeman is an engineer, innovator and technologist. As the Founder and CEO of Grivy, the leading provider in Commerce SuperIntelligence, Jan is dedicated to empowering brands to create personalized and engaging consumer experiences that drive real brand growth.With over 15 years of experience in the technology industry, Jan has a proven track record of success in building and scaling innovative technology companies. Prior to founding Grivy, Jan held leadership positions at several startups, where he led product development and data security.Jan is a strong advocate for the power of data and technology to transform businesses. He believes that Commerce-led Personalization is the key to unlocking new growth opportunities for brands in today's competitive (retail) landscape. Under Jan's leadership, Grivy has become the trusted partner for growth-minded future ready consumer brands.Grivy is part of the Google AI Accelerator and the NVIDIA Inception program.Jan is a sought-after speaker and thought leader on the topics of Personalization, Privacy, Data, and Technology. He is regularly invited to speak at industry events and conferences. Currently, he is part of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. Previously, Jan was a Technology Council Member at Forbes.Jan is an engineering graduate of the University of Rotterdam, where he studied Business Engineering. He received his Master's Degree in Business Administration from Erasmus University and participated in two global MBA exchange programs at IE Business School and the London Business School. In his spare time, Jan enjoys spending time with his wife and 4 kids, gardening, traveling, camping, and reading lots of books. He is also a passionate supporter of his local church and cares about the advancement of underprivileged children.

Born in Melbourne to an advertising family (mother a Creative Director and father a Client Lead) Jessica moved to Shanghai in 2004 and started a career spanning over 20 years, five countries and local, regional and global roles.

Working with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Google, Coca-Cola, Unilever, L’Oreal, Samsung, Heineken and Nestle, Jessica prides herself on building deep partnerships with clients through solving business problems with creativity.

Living in Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne and Singapore, Jessica has a deep passion for diversity, representation and the importance of engaging and reflecting with local culture.

Her roles have included Global Managing Partner, Chief Marketing Officer and Global Client Lead, through which Jessica has worked across all facets of the industry, bringing together cross capability teams, deep specialists and performance while putting creativity at the centre of everything.

As Managing Director for GUT, one of the world's most awarded creative networks, her ambition is to continue demonstrating that brave creativity drives business and continuing to celebrate and empower creativity across Asia-Pacific.

She is a frequent speaker and judge at industry events, including Spikes Asia, AdFest, APAC Effies and IPA Effectiveness.

Problem-solving through creativity and innovation has always been at the core of Masaya’s career. Since joining Droga5, part of Accenture Song in 2021 to launch its Tokyo office, he has been pushing the boundaries of brand experience by bridging effective creativity, business impact, and technology. With a bi-cultural perspective shaped by Japan and the US, Masaya is known for uncovering simple human truths and transforming them into bold, unconventional ideas that drive real-world results. He has won over 150 international awards, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix, and was named one of Forbes Japan’s “39 Designers Who Will Change the World.”

Nicky is a brand strategist with two decades of success in both multinational and independent agency environments across Asia, advising leading global brands on their marketing and communications strategies.

She was a co-owner of the China-based communications agency Red Bridge with offices in Shanghai and Beijing. Built from the ground-up over 12 years to a 120-people award-winning business, the agency was fully acquired by WE Worldwide in 2021, with Nicky appointed as CEO to continue leading its China operation.

Nicky embodies the qualities of a next-generation leader – she leads by example, encourages cross-discipline collaboration, and advocates client consultancy over client servicing. The agency follows a non-traditional approach, inverting the top-down ways of working in China and championing diversity and inclusion across gender, nationality, and regional representation.

Under her leadership, her teams led the successful launch of many brands in China, fostering long-lasting client partnerships across a diverse range of sectors. WE Red Bridge has been consistently recognized by global and regional awards including Cannes Lions, Campaign Greater China Agency of the Year, Sabre Global, Hashtag Asia, PRWeek Awards amongst others. Nicky herself was named a Young Business Leader of the Year in 2019, Woman to Watch in 2020 and 2025, Greater China Agency Head of the Year 2025 by Campaign Asia.

A highly sought-after expert on China’s marketing landscape, Nicky is frequently invited to sit on regional award juries, including Effie Asia Pacific, PRWeek Asia Pacific, Sabre Awards Asia Pacific, The Drum Global PR Awards and Greater China Digital Media Awards.

Nizwani Shahar is a strategic leader redefining the intersection of creativity and business impact in Malaysia and across the region. As CEO of Havas Malaysia, she has transformed the agency from an unranked position to one of the Top 3 hottest creative agencies in the country, rebuilding momentum, restoring growth, and elevating the standard of work to deliver both cultural relevance and commercial results.

Known for her sharp strategic instincts and decisive leadership, Nizwani champions ideas that drive effectiveness first. Under her stewardship, Havas Malaysia has built meaningful brands across sectors including FMCG, automotive, finance, healthcare, GLCs, airlines, retail, and government, consistently balancing bold thinking with measurable business outcomes.

A respected industry voice and returning jury member for the APAC Effie 2026, she brings a rigorous, business-first lens to evaluating work, seeking ideas that create sustained value, not just momentary attention.

Beyond agency leadership, Nizwani is committed to shaping the future of the industry, mentoring emerging talent and advocating for stronger, more inclusive leadership across Asia Pacific.

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, Ryan is one of the most awarded strategists in Australia - if not the world - having won over 50 effectiveness awards. He was also named Campaign Asia's AUNZ Brand Planner of the Year, three years in a row (2021, 2022, 2023).

In 2024, he launched jnr. - an independent, effectiveness led, creative agency. In his previous role at Chief Strategy Officer of Ogilvy Sydney, he led the agency to the number 2 ranking worldwide on the WARC Effectiveness Index.

During his career, Ryan has worked on a broad range of clients and categories, and led the Strategy disciplines of Brand, Behavioural Science, Business, Comms, CRM, Data, Digital, Social and UX.

As Head of Visa Design Creative Studio, Alvina Seah brings over two decades of award‑winning brand and agency leadership across Singapore, Shanghai, and the broader Asia-Pacific region. She brings a track record of shaping culturally resonant, strategically driven brand experiences for global names including Visa, P&G, Pepsi, Gillette, and McDonald’s. Her work is recognized across international shows from Cannes Lions to APAC Effies. Her leadership approach reflects her belief in creativity as both craft and catalyst—shaping teams, elevating brand experiences, and championing work that connects deeply with people and purpose. Alvina continues to champion creativity that makes meaningful impact

Dhawal Katkar, currently working as Managing Director & Country GM for India for the Menarini Group. He has experience in Consumer Goods, Media & Entertainment, Consumer Healthcare & Pharma companies. Some ofthe companies he has worked with in the past are L’Oreal, Heinz, Disney, Glenmark.

Gourab is a digital marketeer, currently leading Digital and client efforts for Citibank in South Asia. He has worked extensively across new business development, product marketing, brand management, and client experience. Working with colleagues across geographies and cultures really excites him.

Jun started her carrier as a business consultant for building business/marketing strategy. Then joined Francfranc, a major home furnishing company and played a prominent role as a brand manager and then contributed MOGU, interior brand, to launch in US market as VP.

Since 2005, she joined McCANN and had been engaging in consultation planning on branding and communication strategy for both global and local clients for 16 years and lead the initiative studies of "Truth About Age", "Truth About Gender in Japan" and "Truth about Global Brands".

Joined FineToday newly founded company as a group company of Shiseido in 2021, and leading brand communications for full funnel rom advertisement to CRM for all brands (hair care, skin care and body care) as VP.

She is also an active speaker at Advertising Week Asia, ad:tech Tokyo and other major marketing/communication lecture sessions.

Karen Ng is a seasoned marketing and branding leader with over 25 years of experience across global agencies and major corporations including Huawei, TCL/ALCATEL, and CATALO. Known for her ability to shape compelling, cross-market brand narratives, she continues to deliver impactful campaigns that elevate corporate reputation and audience engagement.

As General Manager of Corporate Branding and Marketing at Airport Authority Hong Kong, Karen leads high-visibility initiatives that strengthen Hong Kong International Airport’s global standing. She oversaw the airport’s first-ever 10K Runway Run, celebrating the commissioning of the Three Runway System. The campaign resonated widely with the public, achieved strong international engagement, and garnered both local and regional marketing recognition.

Karen also led the award-winning China market documentary and drama series “Transit of Life,” which significantly strengthened HKIA’s brand presence across Asia. The series achieved more than 300 million views and received major accolades, including The Drum Awards, Effie Greater China, and multiple honours at the PR Awards Asia-Pacific.

Her broader career achievements include wins from the Hong Kong 4As, MARKies, TOP/COM GRANDS PRIX, and China ROI Festival. Karen remains passionate about storytelling that inspires, connects, and drives meaningful brand impact.

Kavita Chaturvedi is currently the Chief Executive for the Biscuits & Confections Business Unit, Foods Division, ITC Limited. ITC Foods, is one of the largest and fastest growing packaged food companies in India with a strong play in staples, snacks, biscuits, noodles, confectionery, luxury chocolates, ready-to-eat and frozen foods.

Kavita has over two decades of experience in Consumer product goods, comprising creation, development and nurturance of some of India's foremost Food brands such as Aashirvaad, Sunfeast Yippee! Noodles, Bingo! Snacks, Fabelle Luxury chocolates, ITC Master Chef, Kitchens of India. Kavita also serves as a Director of Technico Agri Sciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC, and as a mentor to Sprout Life Foods, which owns and markets Yoga Bar. In addition to her corporate role, she is the Chair of the CII (The Confederation of Indian Industry) Marketing Committee. Last but not the least, as a valued alumna of the Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), she is part of the institute's Academic Advisory Board, contributing to the development of future leaders.

Kavita’s significant contributions to the organization and industry have earned her numerous prestigious awards. She has been conferred with ‘India’s Most Influential Marketing Leaders’ by BW Business World for the last four consecutive years. Likewise, she has been listed in ‘IMPACT 50 Most Influential Women’ for the previous two years. She also received the ‘DMAI Marketer of the Year Award’ and many more.

Luca Destefanis is VP of Marketing at Kyndryl, leading global Campaigns and Digital. A senior marketing executive with strong business background, rooted in 25 years of international experience across Asia, Europe and US, Luca transforms organizations, develops talents, and simplifies complexity to create purpose-driven brands and drive business impact.

Known for continuously challenge the status quo, Luca has built the Customer Experience Management offering in IBM EMEA; worked in partnership with Zayed University in Dubai to launch Smartsquare, an innovation center with skills at the intersection of design, consulting and technology; advised more than 20 clients on customer and employee engagement; transformed marketing organizations by adopting new operating models; built the IBM Services brand in APAC. In Kyndryl, Luca is now focused on nurturing an amazing pool of talents, aligning central and country teams on a mission to drive reputation, relationship and revenue.

In addition to his role in Kyndryl, Luca is an active Advisory Board member (Joye.ai, ViaRT). Passionate about exploring trends in contemporary art and everything wellness, Luca lived and worked in New York, Milano and Shanghai before moving to Singapore, where he currently resides with his family.

Yoly Crisanto is the Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer at Globe Telecom, Inc, bringing over 40 years of expertise in strategic communications and sustainability to the role. A multi-awarded executive, she was recently honored as a 2025 Private Sector Sustainability Champion by the Philippine SEC and a Distinguished Thomasian Alumni Awardee. In addition to her leadership at Globe, she serves on the boards of AdSpark, Inc. and the Ayala Foundation. Ms. Crisanto holds an MBA from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business and recently completed the WBCSD LEAP Program at Yale and ESADE, underscoring her commitment to global sustainability standards.

Since July 2024 Pablo is Marketing Director at Heineken Vietnam, a key market for Heineken globally and one of the leading FMCG companies in Vietnam. Before this Pablo was Marketing Director in Germany, Malaysia as well as spent 3 years in China on the Heineken brand.

Pepe Torres is the Group Chief Marketing Officer of Maya, the Philippines’ #1 Digital Bank and the #1 Payment Partner for Businesses. He's previously held international marketing leadership roles in Procter & Gamble and Airbnb and led campaigns with global creative and effectiveness recognition.

Stephanie Ng is the Global Head of Marketing, International Wealth & Premier Banking at HSBC, she brings more than 20 years’ experience in consumer financial services in APAC, across business strategy, strategic partnerships, product innovation, portfolio management and customer loyalty. She was most recently the Financial Services Head at Meta (Facebook) where she led all Financial Services initiatives across the Facebook family of apps. She is passionate about building businesses, marketing innovation and digital transformation, helping brands keep up with technology and changing consumer behaviour to drive results.

She joined HSBC in August 2022. Prior to her role at Meta, she was the Executive Director for Credit Cards in Standard Chartered Bank, having led successful teams in cards, payments and unsecured lending businesses in Singapore, Malaysia and globally for the Bank. She has also held senior level positions with Mastercard and AIG.

She holds a master’s degree from University of Bath and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Sheffield, both in the UK. She volunteers at various women’s events and is an active grassroots leader. Originally from Singapore, Stephanie is now based in Hong Kong and is married with a young child.

Having spent 20+ years working in leadership roles across the three key disciplines of sales promotion marketing (Iris), big brand advertising (BBDO) and data-driven customer experience (Proximity), Joe thrives on building teams with a high-performance growth culture by harnessing the power of creative excellence.

As Head of Creative Works at Google for Southeast Asia, Joe has the privilege to work with some of the most exciting brands and cutting edge agencies across the region. Having spent the majority of his working life in Southeast Asia, his experience to date seamlessly blends global marketing best practice with local market cultural understanding, contextual nuance and most importantly empathy.