Meet Our Judges

Brooke Leland
President
Mekanism

Brooke started her career as a media assistant within the Plusco network over 25 years ago and has worked her way up the ranks, surprising and delighting clients ever since.

Brooke was integral to the launch of Jungle Media in 2010 with inaugural client IKEA who she guided quickly to a Best-In-Show at the Media Innovation Awards. Brooke has been pushing her clients to innovate in the world of media, earning a reputation for her award-winning media work, partnering with such incredible clients as Post Cereals, Coca-Cola, Nike, Toyota, Telus and Capital One. 

Brooke held the GM role at Cossette Media and more recently that of President Jungle media.  She has been responsible for the overall media experience: culture, talent growth, client success and marketing efforts as well as managing the Media Planning teams. 

Recently Jungle Media has joined forces with Plusco sister agency Mekanism, a creative and digital agency where she will be President Mekanism Media Canada.  She is inspired to help build a modern mid-sized integrated agency powerhouse with bilingual and cross-border market expertise as more brands look to align breakthrough creativity and full service execution along the entire customer journey.

(Brooke is a bold and creative thinker who inspires great work that drives results. She has been nationally recognized with Media Innovation Awards for her clients. She has also seen success internationally, with Cannes Lions as well as an Effie award for work done on IKEA.)  

Brooke is on the CMDC Board leading the Young Ambassador Program as well as the Cannes Young Lions program run by the Globe and Mail for the media division and is passionate about the future of our industry. 

Maja Neable
Chief Marketing Officer
TD Bank Group

Maja Neable is the Chief Marketing Officer for Canada at TD. She is a progressive marketing leader, with a passion for building great customer experiences and driving business growth in both digital and traditional channels. She is well-recognized as an innovative, action-oriented, well-rounded business executive, with over 20 years of international experience.

Prior to TD, Maja led various marketing teams at BMO. Prior to BMO she held senior roles across the U.S., Canada, and Europe in a variety of industries, including technology (Microsoft and Expedia) and telecommunications (Rogers Communications and Telenor Group). Maja’s leadership across digital & traditional marketing, sales & service, and product development have allowed her to combine analytical and creative thinking to elevate the customer experience, with data-driven innovation across every touchpoint. As a mathematician who loves creativity, this combination of left and right brain is what has guided her career.

Maja led her teams to win over 10 CMA awards including "Best of the Best" award in 2023, and two gold Lions at Cannes Lion, considered "Oscars of Marketing". She was named as one of the Top 10 Global CMOs at 2023 Cannes Lion.

Maja is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, and chairs the DEI leadership committee for Transformation, Enablement and Customer Experience teams at TD. She sits on the Board of Soulpepper Theatre. Maja holds a B Math degree from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA from IMD, Switzerland. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons, and enjoys skiing, fitness, and reading.

Derek Bhopalsingh
EVP, Platform Media
Publicis Media

Derek Bhopalsingh is a leader in the Canadian digital marketing landscape. He calls Publicis Media Canada home, overseeing programmatic, search, social and eCommerce as EVP of Platform Media for the holding company.  With almost two decades of experience, Derek knows how to build high performing teams and how to drive excellent business outcomes for his clients.

He is also known for his work through the IAB, representing the Canadian agency community as a member of the board of directors.   He participates regularly in mentorship initiatives and is a regular speaker at industry events.

Previously, Derek has held senior roles in both agencies and holding companies - focusing on elevating digital marketing experiences, the use of data and application of analytics.  He is a product of both York University and Georgian College.

Sarah Broomfield
VP, Head of Marketing
Campbell

Since joining Campbells in 2014, Sarah has held commercial roles across both the Marketing and Sales teams and is currently the Vice President of Marketing, leading the development and execution of all retail marketing strategies and activations in Canada. She works across all categories to create and sustain streams of growth and revenue, while building marketing capabilities across the team. With 18 years of experience in the CPG industry, Sarah's previous work experience includes Marketing roles at companies such as Weight Watchers and PepsiCo.

Kathryn Brownlie
VP of Brand, Marketing & Membership
Royal Ontario Museum

Kathryn has over thirty years of experience in advertising and marketing, with the earlier part of her career spent at some of Canada’s top media companies in the role of Vice President of Advertising.

The next stage in her career has allowed her to pursue her passion for arts and culture, originally established when she graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Performance. As well as sitting on the Board of Directors for the National Theatre School of Canada, in 2012 she joined the Royal Ontario Museum where she leads Marketing and Promotions, Membership and Tourism for ROM in her role as Vice President, Brand, Marketing & Membership.

Bjorn Bruschke
Vice President Marketing
Desjardins

Björn is Vice-President of Marketing for Property and Casualty Insurance, Wealth Management, and Life and Health Insurance Affiliated Networks and Independent Advisors at Desjardins Group. 

Since joining the organization in 2016, he has brought deep expertise in financial services and a proven track record of developing and executing high-impact marketing strategies.

Björn leads a team of marketing leaders responsible for the strategic planning, integration, and execution of initiatives that drive measurable business results. He played a pivotal role in the successful transition of the State Farm brand under Desjardins General Insurance Group, helping elevate Desjardins Insurance from a brand laggard to a top brand leader in the Ontario insurance industry.

Throughout his tenure, Björn has consistently delivered marketing strategies that build brand preference and generate profitable growth.  A strong advocate for values-based branding, Björn believes in the power of meaningful, differentiated brand experiences. His pragmatic, data-driven approach is balanced by a deep connection to the voice of the client.

Björn is widely recognized for his inclusive leadership, strategic vision, and ability to inspire teams around a shared purpose. He holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Co-op Marketing from Brock University.

Tania Goecke
Global VP Marketing: Brands with Purpose & Global Asset Activation
Bimbo Canada

Kevin Johnson
CEO, WPP Media Canada and President, WPP
WPP Media

Kevin Johnson is the CEO of WPP Media Canada and President of WPP Canada,
leveraging over three decades of industry experience to drive growth for WPP Media
(formerly GroupM) in one of the world’s largest ad markets. A seasoned media leader
and passionate advocate for inclusion, mentorship, and equity within and outside of
advertising, he frequently speaks on the importance of top-down inclusive leadership
and creating a more welcoming industry. Kevin is a dedicated community mentor and
serves on the board of multiple organizations focused on media and social services,
including the Banff World Media Festival, Numeris, Trillium Health Partners, and Blue
Ant.

Tracey Johnson
Chief Client Officer
iProspect

Tracey is a passionate leader who cares deeply about the brands she leads, and the teams that
she works with every day.

She brings over 20 years of experience across multiple categories including retail,
automotive, travel and CPG. She believes the consumer is at the core of everything that we do,
and that data-driven solutions allow us to target audiences in a smarter, more precise and
meaningful way.

“A team is successful when they are encouraged to provide fresh thinking, build innovative
solutions, and work together collaboratively towards one common goal, in a place where
everyone is comfortable being themselves”

Her strategic thinking and consumer centric approach drives to gain a deep understanding of
her clients targets so that she can apply this to business goals and objectives.

Outside of the office Tracey enjoys spending quality time with her family, and playing badminton.

Erica Kokiw
President
PHD

Erica Kokiw is the newly appointed President of PHD Canada. With over 23 years of experience in the industry and expertise across many client categories including retail, CPG and automotive, Erica has been a proponent of transformation with a focus on advanced analytics; combining business, media and data science to answer client’s most pressing business issues. Previously, she served as EVP of Digital at UM Canada, where she led digital transformation and business growth efforts. Erica is passionate about creativity and innovation, and she looks forward to driving PHD Canada's success through collaboration, service excellence, and cutting-edge solutions.

Candida Ness
VP, Marketing
Dairy Queen

Candida Ness is the Vice President of Marketing for DQ® Canada. In her current role, she oversees marketing at the iconic Dairy Queen brand including branding, menu strategy, promotions, media digital marketing and advertising.  Candida began her career in media and has held senior marketing positions across various sectors including retail, technology, and packaged goods.

Jacquie Ryan
Chief Brand and Commercial Officer
Canadian Olympic Committee

Jacquie Ryan is the Chief Brand and Commercial Officer at the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation, where she oversees all commercial operations, including revenue growth, brand strategy, partnerships, digital, and sustainability. Since joining the COC in 2019, she has led transformative initiatives such as the launch of the Team Canada app, the Team Canada Impact Agenda, award winning brand campaigns, and the re-set of the Canadian Olympic Foundation business, while also securing landmark national partnerships with lululemon, Bell, Canadian Tire, and RBC.

With over two decades of leadership in brand, sponsorship, and sport marketing, Jacquie previously served as Vice President, Sponsorship and Partnerships at Scotiabank, where she led the historic $800 million Scotiabank Arena naming rights deal and oversaw acclaimed hockey marketing programs. Prior to that, she was Head of Olympic Marketing at RBC, where she and her team delivered the highly successful Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games marketing program.

Jacquie has been widely recognized for her influence in sport and marketing. She has been named to the Top 100 People of Power in Hockey by The Hockey News, one of the Most Influential Women in Hockey by the Toronto Star, and among the Most Influential People in Canadian Sport by Yahoo! Sports. In recent years, she was named one of Bay Street Bull’s Women of the Year (2021), a Sports Business Journal Game Changer (2023), and the Canadian Marketing Association’s Marketer of the Year (2024).

Jacquie currently serves on the Board of the Canadian Marketing Association and is a previous Board Director with the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation.

Scott Stewart
EVP, Managing Director
Epitaph

Scott Stewart is a senior media executive with extensive experience at some of the world’s largest global networks and leading independent agencies. He currently serves as Executive Vice President and Managing Director at Epitaph Group, one of Canada’s largest independent media agencies.

Over the course of his career, Scott has held senior strategy and executive roles across global, North American, and national teams, consistently driving growth and innovation for a broad portfolio of clients. His leadership has helped teams earn accolades at prestigious industry events, including the Cannes Lions, Festival of Media Global, Canadian Marketing Awards, and Media Innovation Awards.

An active contributor to the industry, Scott has served on several boards and advisory committees, including the Canadian Marketing Association’s Ethics & Standards Committee, Media, and Sponsorship Councils, the Canadian Out-of-Home Marketing & Measurement Bureau (COMMB), and the Media Innovation Awards Advisory Board.

A proud graduate of the University of Toronto, Scott continues to champion excellence, innovation, and ethical leadership in Canada’s media and marketing landscape.

Karel Wegert
CEO
Media Experts

As CEO of Media Experts, Karel is responsible for leading the agency and its clients into the next frontier of media solutions. An insightful leader with over twenty years of experience in digital media and an extensive agency background, Karel has an impressive track record for evolving advanced business solutions and delivering high-yield results for some of Canada's most successful brands. Karel has been part of the IPG family since 2007 when he joined Media Expert's burgeoning digital division. During his 15-year tenure, he was instrumental in establishing the agency as a digital innovator. Prior to his appointment as CEO of Media Experts in 2023, Karel served as President of Kinesso Canada, IPG's connected intelligence company, overseeing Matterkind and driving lifetime customer value through addressable activation.

Cobi Zhang
VP, Media Investment and Activation
Horizon Media

Cobi brings over 20 years of media investment and strategic planning experience to his role as VP, Investment & Activation at Horizon Media Canada. He leads the investment practice on key clients such as SharkNinja, Felix, Poshmark and Alberta Blue Cross. His expertise spans across all media channels and multiple business categories such as auto, entertainment, retail, travel and not-for-profit.

Cobi started his career in media investment where he built a strong foundation of knowledge on the Canadian media market. He is known for his expertise in the entertainment sector, having serviced multiple clients in this category such as Warner Bros. Entertainment, HBO, Sony Pictures, Elevation Pictures and CBS All Access. He has gained a reputation as a fierce and fair negotiator, and he has earned the trust and respect of his clients, peers and media partners.

Cobi is passionate about building brands, finding solutions and making a difference for his clients. He is also a great mentor who maintains a sharp focus on promoting growth within his team. Cobi is also a vocal advocate for DEI.

Nuno Bamberg
SVP, brand & marketing
Sleep Country

Nuno Bamberg is a business builder, brand strategist, and creative force—shaping how some of
Canada’s most iconic and global brands connect with people. As SVP of brand & marketing at Sleep Country Canada, he leads with a bold vision: to make sleep a top priority in people’s lives and turn a legacy brand into a culture-driving powerhouse.

With over 20 years of experience leading global brands and building category leaders across
industries, Nuno blends sharp commercial thinking with a deep understanding of what drives
people and performance.

His career began in creative writing and evolved into a path that’s taken him from the idea room to the boardroom — with measurable impact at every step.

Before joining Sleep Country, Nuno spent nearly a decade at Publicis Groupe Canada, where he
led The Pub, the agency’s content and production division. Under his leadership, The Pub
became a powerful growth engine, helping drive a near doubling of the agency’s size.

He played a key role in transforming Publicis into one of Canada’s top integrated offerings —delivering impactful work for some of the world’s top-shelf brands, including Jeep, Pfizer, The Home Depot, Rogers, Westjet, and Canada Pos,t to cite a few.

Known for building high-performing teams and cutting through complexity, Nuno delivers work
that inspires, engages, and drives growth. His leadership style is rooted in nurturing talent,
bridging capability gaps, integrating departments, and driving transformative operational
change — turning vision into momentum.

At the heart of it all is a belief that great brands aren’t just built—they’re earned through clarity,
consistency, and a relentless focus on people.

At Sleep Country, Nuno’s mission continues to be driving growth by building a unified, insight
led marketing engine—one that elevates the brand, deepens customer connection, and positions Sleep Country as the undisputed leader in sleep across Canada.

Catherine Brown
VP, marketing & segmentation
Definity

A strategic marketing leader with deep expertise in integrated marketing, customer segmentation, and data-driven growth, Catherine brings over twenty years of experience across retail, financial services, insurance, and energy. Currently at Definity, she leads segmentation and growth initiatives, uniting insights, media strategy, and performance analytics to drive acquisition and engagement across digital and traditional channels.

Known for her analytical mindset and cross-functional leadership, Catherine builds scalable marketing strategies that bridge brand, media, and customer experience—turning complex data into actionable results.

Jennifer Callegaro
Director, Marketing
WestJet

With nearly 20 years of experience, I’ve helped build and grow brands across Canada and international markets. My background spans the full spectrum — from brand development and product marketing to performance, loyalty, partnerships and PR — across both B2C and B2B2C. With agency experience at DDB, sports marketing experience at MLSE and online travel at Expedia and WestJet I love creating fresh, integrated and results-driven campaigns. I’m especially passionate about the power of marketing to connect with people in meaningful ways — and about mentoring the next generation of talent through teaching and advisory roles at leading Canadian colleges.

Carlo Fiore
Group Media Director
TBWA

Carlo spent the first 14 years in the industry leading the in-house media team at Shaw and then Corus, in developing campaigns for their entertainment and telecommunication properties. Having spearheaded the in-house agency team Carlo made the jump to OMD to lead the newly acquire Mitsubishi account and then shortly thereafter joined TBWA working on the Nissan Canada media team.

After an almost 6 year stint in the Auto Category, Carlo moved towards a new challenge in leading the Media department for Independent Agency Bensimon Byrne. Here, Carlo was able to help lead and grow the department by bringing a new perspective to legacy clients and onboarding new ones across multiple categories.

After a year and a half, auto came calling again and Carlo is currently leading the Media team on Nissan and Infiniti for TBWA.

Lisa Kittelsen
Head of Marketing
Red Bull

Janice Liu
Founder, CEO
The Mantis group

Janice Liu is the founder and CEO of The Mantis Group, a data commercialization firm helping brands turn untapped data into revenue and strategic advantage. A former senior leader at Cossette Media, Janice has worked with some of Canada’s biggest advertisers — including Toyota, TELUS, Scotiabank, Microsoft and more — to bridge the gap between marketing, data, and AI.

Frustrated by how slowly the industry was evolving, she left the agency world to build Mantis: a company built for speed, experimentation, and measurable results. In its first year, Mantis scaled to seven figures, with clients including embark, Bird, Billy Bishop Airport, Publicis Groupe and more.

Janice is known for spotting business opportunities others overlook — and turning them into real growth. Her work sits at the intersection of media, technology, and innovation.

Fil Lourenco
VP, Performance & Platforms
Dentsu Media

Fil Lourenco is an Award-winning executive digital leader with a proven track record of leading and managing large agency teams across a variety of disciplines including digital planning and buying, programmatic, eCommerce, paid social and search. He is currently the Digital Investment & Activation lead at dentsu overseeing digital planning and buying teams across multiple disciplines. Fil has 15 years of digital media experience holding previous digital leadership roles at Havas & Mindshare. Fil currently sits on the agency committee at IAB Canada.

Ola Machnowski
VP, Demand Generation

Ola is a seasoned business and marketing leader with over 15 years of experience across multiple functions (marketing, sales, eCom) and consumer packaged goods organizations including Hershey Canada, Unilever & GlaxoSmithKline.  She recently moved to SharkNinja and in her current role as VP, Demand Generation Canada, sits on a global demand generation leadership team tasked with the implementation of global strategies brilliantly executed with local insights and channels which span both brand and performance marketing. 

Ola’s passions lie in developing the next generation of marketing leaders through business plans that ‘dream big’ but are also grounded in business realities. She is most known for her ability to build genuine connections across the organization and rise to any challenge with a signature style of flexing business savviness and a great sense of humour. 

In her spare time, she can be found exploring nature with her husband, 2 boys, and aussie-doodle, or at the keys of a piano working on her next tune.

Kate Mateer
EVP, Client Business Partner
UM

Kate Mateer is an industry veteran with a proven track record in brand building across Canada. Her current role involves leading priority client business, leveraging a solid foundation of media principles and planning. Focused on the future, Kate ensures that her clients' opportunities and endeavours achieve top results. Under her specialized guidance, Kate’s teams have launched, crafted, and executed complex integrated marketing communications plans.

Joanne Matthews
VP, Media Planning & Strategy
Innocean Canada

Meredith Menkes
Chief client officer
OMD

Ravi Mishra
DIRECTOR, CONNECTIONS
Wasserman & Partners Advertising Inc

Luke Moore
VP managing director media, partner
FUSE Create

Luke Moore is an agency builder and media strategist- he brings 30+ years of cross-continent
advertising and marketing experience. He is a published digital expert, and he possesses the
unique attribute of a long history in North American media coupled with creative agency
management.

Luke joined FUSE Create in the fall of 2020 to build media into a 360 full-service offering. He
believes the time is right for a specialized media partner - one that can act like an in-house
service for some clients, a consultancy or a traditional media partner, when needed.
He possesses deep retail, CPG, NFP and conversion-oriented campaign experience.
Luke is the current CMDC Finance Chair, an Alumni Volunteer at the U of T and a frequent
award judge for the industry.

Michelle Mruck
Media Director
Procter & Gamble

Michelle is a media professional who’s been in the industry for over 15 years, she’s never held the same role twice. She’s worked in the world of broadcast buying, digital acquisition, and high-profile sponsorships, while managing some of the biggest advertisers in the country.

Michelle is currently a Media Director at Procter & Gamble leading strategy on 2 of their largest categories. Here her passion for breaking the traditional media molds drive her to find new solutions that truly deliver business goals.

Andrew Mushing
Senior Manager Media and Marketing Excellence
Hershey

Andrew is Senior Manager of Media and Marketing Excellence for Hershey, and founder of EffectiveGrowth, a marketing training academy.

Tristan Retelsdorf
Director, brand, digital & customer Marketing
Telus

Mathieu Robitaille
Head of Marketing
Metro

Mathieu Robitaille is head of marketing for the Ontario division of Metro Inc. He is responsible for all marketing channels and shopper interactions for the Metro and Food Basics banners along with its Pharmacy network. He has held senior responsibilities in brand, strategy, and eCommerce since joining Metro Ontario in 2018.  

Mathieu began his corporate career with CPGs in the food industry. He has a collective 20 years of experience in progressive managerial roles with Coca-Cola Ltd. Bottler, Bimbo Canada (formerly Canada Bread), and Maple Leaf Foods. Mathieu is a fourth-generation grocer from rural Quebec, and lives in Toronto with his wife, two children, and exuberant dog.

Christine Scott
Founder
The Accomplice Project

As a senior leader in Canadian Marketing and Advertising, Christine has dedicated her career to
modelling leadership with awareness, empathy, and a focus on empowerment. Her work has
spanned across the world, including the US, the UK and Asia, and she knows first-hand the
power of intellectual diversity. She had led the strategic charge for some of the biggest brands
on earth and been a key player to agency growth in her previous roles.

Christine brings diverse brand and Integrated marketing experience ranging from Brand
Strategy, Digital and Content Strategy, UX, Communications and Experiential Events. Her
experience covers a wide range of categories ranging from brands like the VISA, Detroit
Pistons, Bacardi, Toronto International Film Festival, City of Toronto, Black Coalition for AIDS
Prevention, and PLAN Canada.

In 2021, she founded The Accomplice Project, an independent consultancy providing business,
operational and creative strategy founded on the principles of inclusive design and
decolonization. She collaborates with clients integrating these principles alongside equity,
representation, and care to develop business solutions that dismantle oppressive structures
while maintaining the principles of growth and profitability.

Christne lives in Toronto with her partner, their five kids and their super dog, Lilou.

Louise Simkin
President
Havas

Louise Simkin is a growth‑focused leader who pairs analytical rigour with creative vision to keep Havas Media Canada ahead of market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience across digital and integrated media, she has steered national teams, translating data into high‑impact campaigns that deliver measurable business results. As President, Louise is accountable for agency performance, client satisfaction and talent development, ensuring every engagement links media investment directly to growth outcomes. Previously, as Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Noise Digital, she built the data consulting practice and led the agency’s seamless integration following its 2023 acquisition by Havas. Her leadership has earned multiple industry honours, and she continues to champion diversity, mentorship and innovation across every mandate she leads.

Doha Skaf
Vice President, Media Planning
Spark Foundry

With over 17 years of experience in the media and marketing industry, Doha Skaf is a strategic leader passionate about using media as a powerful tool to connect brands with communities. As Vice President at Spark Foundry, she plays a key role in shaping the agency’s vision and driving its growth within the Montreal market. Her expertise spans media strategy, brand communication, and audience engagement, with a strong focus on delivering measurable impact for clients.

Beyond her executive role, Doha is actively involved in advancing the industry. She serves as Co-Chair of IAB Quebec and is a member of the A2C Media Directors Committee, where she contributes to shaping the future of media practices in Quebec.  Recognized for her collaborative leadership and commitment to innovation, Doha brings both strategic depth and a strong sense of purpose to everything she does

Janet Xi
Head of brand
Wealthsimple

Janet Xi is the Senior Director of Integrated Marketing & Marketing Operations at Wealthsimple. Her team shapes how Wealthsimple shows up in the world by connecting brand strategy, campaign execution, and cross-functional planning - serving as Wealthsimple's internal agency. Previously, she was Chief of Staff to the CMO of Wealthsimple to steer work across all marketing functions. She began her career in the Jungle/Cossette agency family helping brands grow across Canada and the US. She's led work that's been recognized in the industry, contributing to the success of brands like IKEA, Cadbury/Mondelez, and TIFF.