Marketing Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
Derek Gerry, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts
C-4 Analytics LLC, Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States
In his role as Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at C-4 Analytics, Derek Gerry uses the latest AI and measurement tools to drive market share gains and ROI for clients in the healthcare, energy, legal and retail sectors. Prior to joining C-4 Analytics in 2009, Derek developed online marketing content, campaigns and strategies for several Fortune 500 companies, including Standard & Poor’s, IAC and Harcourt Brace. In a career marked by the need for rapid transitions in technology, Derek continues to hold fast to the basic tenets of marketing: Deliver meaningful messages for customers and measurable results for clients. As tools and platforms evolve, marketers must do more than simply be there. Success is driven by understanding customer needs and the ways that technology can meet them. Winning strategies can be perfected by careful analysis of customer data. Today’s marketer must be fluent in two-way communication with audiences, taking the time to learn how new tools can drive new possibilities, not simply automate creation.
Derek is a devout fan of Saul Bass, Douglas Adams and The Beatles. He lives just north of Boston with his wife, five-year-old son and a very needy Burmese cat. On being invited to Chair, Derek told us: “I find the Marketing awards among the most valuable resources for discovery each year. No matter the medium, no matter the size of the business, there are forward-thinking ideas and strategies on display that represent the best of what thoughtful marketing can achieve.”
Committee:
Ayushi Agarwal, Senior Financial Analyst
Amazon, Seattle, Washington, United States
Ayushi Agarwal is a SeniorFinancial Analyst at Amazon with prior experience in finance, strategy, & consulting at Dell Technologies and RBS. A CA/CPA and Kelley MBA graduate, she specializes in financial modeling, business analytics, and market expansion across global technology and financial services sectors.
Hyesun Ahn, Marketing Manager
Children's Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States
Hyesun is a dynamic leader in public relations and branding, blending expertise from both corporate and nonprofit sectors to drive meaningful impact. A former Fulbright Scholar to Austria, she has shaped global narratives at powerhouse brands like Nike, Sports Illustrated, WPP and Spin Master before transitioning to the nonprofit world.
Diana Akchurina, Founder
Easy Communications, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Diana Akchurina is the founder and CEO of Easy Communications, a marketing communications agency established in 2016. With over 17 years of experience in business development and organic marketing, she has collaborated with leading tech and gaming brands. Diana is a member of the Guild of Marketers and Tech Barcelona..
Jean Cameron, Senior Director Marketing
Demandbase, Waterford, Michigan, United States
Jean Cameron is the Sr. Director of Field and Channel Marketing at Demandbase. She has over 15 years of experience leading high-performing teams, focusing on high growth and demand generations. She is a graduate of Central Michigan University. Fire Up Chips!
Jeffrey Chan, General Manager
HK Hylink Group, Hong Kong, China
Jeffrey Chen is a seasoned digital marketing leader with 15+ years of experience, including key roles at Publicis and Grey. Specializing in brand strategy and digital transformation. He now serves as GM at Hylink Group, leading business units to deliver cross-border marketing solutions for global and local brands.
Michael Clark, CMO
Infrascale, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States
Michael is Chief Marketing Officer at Infrascale, where he leads marketing strategy for cloud-based backup and disaster recovery solutions. He has over 20 years of experience in B2B technology marketing and has helped dozens of software companies grow through data-driven strategy, messaging clarity, and go-to-market execution.
Luis Deza, Chief Revenue Office
Yala AI, Miami City, Florida, United States
Luis Deza has been CRO at Yala AI since 2023. With over 25 years of experience in marketing, sales, leadership, and now data analytics and AI, he also teaches an online marketing course at UPAO. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Crystal Fischer, VP Marketing
Zywave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Crystal leads Zywave’s marketing operations and demand generation efforts to deliver customer retention and growth. With more than 20 years in sales and marketing, her expertise is in developing value-based and ROI driven customer experiences with emphasis on the strength of the brand, products and services.
Varun Garde, Director Planning
Microsoft, Lake Zurich, Illinois, United States
Varun Garde is a Pricing and Monetization expert with 18 yrs of experience in the field. He is Vice Chair at statistics without borders and a Director at Microsoft. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he also speaks at Pricing conferences.
Saifuddin Gunja, Product Marketing Director
GitHub, Austin, Texas, United States
Saif is a seasoned product marketing leader with 15 years of experience across B2B technology sectors, including cybersecurity, automation, and cloud infrastructure. Passionate about storytelling, he specializes in crafting go-to-market strategies, driving revenue growth, and inspiring teams to translate complex technology into customer value.
Dr. Danny Ha, CEO, Founder
Academy of Professional Certification, York and HK, United Kingdom
Dr. Danny Ha, Chairman, Project Director, Academy of Professional Certification Co., York, United Kingdom, has 39+ years of expertise in enterprise risk management, ISO/ESG/information security/AI management certification/implementation/teaching/audit, startup advisory, photography, and Chinese arts. Since 2022, he has judged multiple Stevie Awards categories.
Kirsti Jane, Founder & CEO
KJB LLC, Los Angeles, California, United States
Kirsti Jane, pioneering founder of Global Supercar Brokerage and esteemed sales coach & consultant, revolutionizes luxury sales. With over a decade of expertise, she empowers clients to excel in affluent markets. A best-selling author and speaker, Kirsti disrupts with innovative approaches, elevating businesses to unparalleled success in the luxury market.
Alaattin Kilic, Senior Marketing and Business Development Manager
Visa Franchise, Miami, Florida, United States
Alaattin Kılıç is a seasoned marketing strategist with a background in journalism and digital media, offering a unique edge in global brand positioning. As Senior Manager of Marketing and Business Development, he drives investor-facing content, personal brand growth, and strategic initiatives in the investment migration and international entrepreneurship sectors.
Praveen Kumar Krishnamurthy, Product Marketing
Adobe, San Francisco, California, United States
Praveen works in product marketing at Adobe. He is a competitive positioning expert and focuses on Adobe's B2B customers for creative cloud applications. Before his time with Adobe, Praveen led marketing for a VC-backed e-commerce brand in India. In addition, he has extensive B2B sales and marketing experiences.
Debra LaRocca, Marketing Consultant
Self-Employed, Hingham, Massachusetts, United States
Stephanie Leone, Marketing Coordinator
Parkinson's Foundation, New York City, New York, United States
Stephanie Leone has been working in nonprofit marketing since 2024. Prior to that, she spent five years at a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and social media management.
Violeta Niculut, Marketing Manager
Anchor Group, Bucharest, Romania
Violeta has dedicated more than 20 years to marketing and communications, building consistent know-how in the competitive and challenging field of retail and FMCG for international and local brands, and managing internal teams and agencies to accomplish business objectives. For more than five years now, Violeta has brought her knowledge to Anchor Group.
Susan Saurage-Altenloh, President & Chief Insights Officer
Saurage Marketing Research, Inc, Houston, Texas, United States
Susan Saurage-Altenloh has designed and delivered innovative and award-winning research strategies that drive transformative ideas for three decades. With a rare talent for combining an insider’s understanding with an outsider’s fresh perspective, Dr. Saurage-Altenloh is in constant demand across the country as a researcher, panelist, and presenter.
Erica Schumann, Marketing Manager, Customer Relations and Community Experience
Aras, Andover, Massachusetts, United States
Erica Schumann is a seasoned marketing professional with a strong foundation in demand generation and field marketing. She holds an MBA from Boston College and a BA from Michigan State University, bringing strategic insight and global perspective to her work with leading B2B software companies.
Julie Seireg, Senior Director of Marketing
Parkinson's Foundation, Arlington, Virginia, United States
Julie has been working for the Parkinson's Foundation for six years. She has over 15 years experience in Nonprofit and Healthcare Communications. Julie is a graduate of Elon University and the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She is also on the board of a nonprofit field hockey league in Washington, D.C.
Michael Shmarak, Consultant/Growth
Silverline Communications, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Punit Sinha, Director
Marketing Strategy, Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Punit Sinha has 15 plus years of Marketing, data analytics and execution experience across Finance and Retail industries working for Fortune 500 companies.
Kavin Soni, Financial Analyst
Google, San Francisco, California, United States
Kavin is a technology professional, working as a Financial Analyst at Google Ads since 2019. His expertise lies in leveraging AI to maximize Ad campaign performance, drawing upon his specialization in the digital advertising industry. Throughout his career, he has consistently empowered small-to-medium businesses to achieve exceptional results through Google Ads.
Marie Wiese, CEO
Marketing CoPilot, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Marie Wiese is a marketing executive and founder of Marketing CoPilot, a strategic AI marketing agency that works in the Microsoft channel. She is a Stevie Awards Winner for her podcast, Women Talk Tech, and a USA Today best-selling author for her books, Success Mindset and You Can’t Be Everywhere.