Meet the most rocking panel of judges ever assembled

Ruth Brady

Expert in the Marketing Management genre

Ruth is currently Head of Marketing with News International, working across the Irish Sun, the Sunday Times and the Irish News of the World. Prior to that, she held the positions of Consumer Marketing Communications Manager and Direct Marketing Manager at Vodafone Ireland where she was responsible for numerous award-winning campaigns, nationally and internationally.

A graduate of TCD, Ruth has 14 years’ experience in the industry and has worked on many of Ireland’s leading brands in both client and agency roles.

Patrick Collister

Expert in the Creative Leadership genre

Patrick founded training company Creative Matters in 2003 and today works with both some of the UK’s leading agencies and biggest clients to improve their creative output. He is author of The Big Won, an analysis of the world’s best communications, from advertising to direct marketing. He has been a Cannes juror twice and sat on the executive committee of D&AD until 2006…and with good reason! Patrick has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry and has won a string of awards including Cannes Gold, Creative Circle Gold, British TV Awards, Campaign Press Awards and a Silver from the ILR Radio Awards.

Karen Kavanagh

Expert in the Marketing Communications genre

Specialising in Marketing Communications, Karen has been the Marketing Manager in Neopost Ireland since 2006 and has 10 years’ Marcomms experience. In this time Karen has implemented CRM strategies and marketing communications programmes, and developed an ongoing strategy to promote direct marketing in the Irish market.

Karen is also responsible for the Marketing Communications Strategy and overall management of Neopost’s marketing function including product marketing. With a Diploma in Marketing Management and having completed IMI’s mini MBA programme, Karen has worked with many brands including Sage Ireland and Swiftcall telecommunications.

Brian O’Kennedy

Expert in the Green Technology genre

Brian is Managing Director of Clearstream Solutions, an Irish Environmental services company focused on bringing global best practice in carbon management to Ireland. Formerly Managing Director of DC Kavanagh, one of Ireland’s largest independent commercial printing and mailing companies, Brian brings over 15 years’ experience in global supply chain to this new business.

Currently Chairman of the IDMA, Brian has a degree in Economics from Trinity College Dublin. He has also worked as Global VP for media company Arvato Sonopress and has managed global relationships with key IT customers including Microsoft, Apple, Dell and HP.

David O’Leary

Expert in the Experiential Marketing genre

David O’Leary is founder and Managing Partner at Eighty Twenty Interactive Communications which was formed in 1992. Eighty Twenty Interactive aims to combine all the talents of a traditional creative production house with the digital know-how of an interactive agency.

Their clients include Lynx, Nokia, Magnum, Toyota, Pot noodle and Dove. David is also a member of the board of the Association of Promotional Marketing Consultants, where he is Communications & PR Director. David is a graduate of UCD and Marketing Institute of Ireland.

Padraig O’Neill

Expert in the Direct Response genre

A graduate of UCD, Padraig has over 20 years’ marketing experience and has worked in a variety of organisations including Vodafone and Perlico. Padraig was Product Manager and Product Marketing Manager at Dell across all European markets before joining 123.ie in 2007 as Marketing Manager.

Here he established a marketing function using best practice direct response marketing principles. And in a crowded marketplace dominated by global brands, 123.ie has grown dramatically and captured a significant share of the Irish consumer insurance market.

Anne-Marie O’Sullivan

Expert in the Strategic Planning genre

Anne-Marie is a consultant strategic planner, drawing on over fifteen years of experience. She has worked on different sides of the brand development process – as a client for Masterfoods and Diageo and more recently in strategic planning, consumer research and workshop facilitation. Anne-Marie was a senior planner at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London before she joined McCann-Erickson as a board member and Director of Strategic Planning.

Here she was responsible for clients such as Coca-Cola, Heineken Ireland, Unilever and Glanbia. In 2008, Anne-Marie established Brandworks where she consults directly with clients and with communication agencies on strategic planning projects.

Amie Peters

Expert in the Direct Mail genre

Amie is currently Head of Direct Mail with An Post, whose annual Direct Mail Awards play a huge role in recognising exceptional talent in the industry. She has brought An Post’s Mail Media Unit to the forefront of marketing in Ireland by hosting events such as the Early Bird Club and launching new innovations in direct mail. Amie has worked in the industry for over 9 years. She joined An Post from DMA, where she held the position of Client Services Director, working with some of Ireland's leading brands in helping them with their direct marketing and winning numerous awards along the way.

Jim Warren

Expert in the Direct Marketing genre

Jim Warren is the Direct Marketing Manager at AA Ireland, and has over 15 years’ DM experience. Jim spent 6 years as Marketing Manager at Saga, one of UK’s leading Direct Marketing companies before moving to Ireland in 2007. Jim was appointed to his current role at AA in 2008 with the brief of changing the marketing model from above to below the line. Last year saw new business enquiries nearly double year-on-year whilst overall CPA reduced significantly. Since Jim’s arrival, the AA has been at the forefront of testing new DM concepts, winning an award at 2009 An Post Direct Marketing Awards.

Peter Whelehan

Expert in the Direct Mail Management genre

Peter Whelehan runs Direct Marketing Campaign Management, a company he set up in 2003. DMCM provides project management service to companies requiring implementation of direct marketing campaigns due to their own lack of either expertise or resource. He has worked with many of Ireland’s leading brands for clients including the Automobile Association, Diageo, General Motors and Radisson SAS.

With an honours degree in Psychology, a postgraduate DBS (Marketing) from The Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and a Diploma in Direct Marketing, Peter has been responsible for numerous award-winning campaigns and has lectured and written extensively for industry journals.