Meet Our Judges

AJ Jones
CSO
McCann

AJ is first and foremost a fan of creative problem solving and the importance of strategy in unleashing impactful creativity. In a career that has spanned multiple markets across both Europe and North America, AJ  has had the good fortune of working on some of the world’s most famous brands and elevating some hidden gems previously unknown. AJ sits on McCann Worldgroup’s Global Strategic Leadership Council and since joining McCann Canada AJ has helped bring the agency to Effie Agency of the Year and Silver Digital Agency of the Year. Having judged both creative and effectiveness shows globally, AJ is well dialled in to identifying great strategy.

Bob Park
Chief Brand Officer
GE Appliances

Bob Park is the Chief Brand Officer for GE, Café, Monogram and Haier Appliances in Canada. In addition to corporate communications and branding, his responsibility encompasses strategy, public relations, digital, advertising, promotions, and E-Commerce initiatives. Drawing on more than 15 years of B2B/B2C sales and marketing experience, including leadership roles with globally recognized home electronics and computer brands, he is a proponent of digital innovation as well as a retail execution strategist. Bob has been recognized for championing women's equity initiatives as well as spearheading corporate involvement with Canada Soccer. Bob also serves the Canadian marketing community on the Strategy Magazine CMO Council and CMO Council Global Advisory Board.

Sophie Annick-Vallee
Chief Strategy Officer
lg2

Sabrina Babooram
Partner, Head of Strategy
Academy

Shelley Brown
Chief Strategy Officer
FCB

A strategic planner by trade with extensive experience in agency management, Shelley
is driven by a fascination with motivating people, whether customers in their relationship with brands, or clients and employees in their relationships with agencies.

Shelley joined FCB in 2015, and under her leadership, FCB has become a strategic
powerhouse, with 6 of the country's top 10 strategists on the team, the first Gold
Cannes Lion in Strategy, and most importantly, ideas that build brands and drive
business results for our clients.

Shelley’s 33-year advertising career began in market research where she learned to dig
for insights. She later moved on to Strategic Planning at creative shops Roche Macaulay
& Partners, zig and CP+B. Shelley joined FCB from BBDO, where she led the strategy
discipline for Canada. Over her career, Shelley has crafted the strategies behind award
winning campaigns for such brands as IKEA, the Bank of Montreal, Canadian Down
Syndrome Society, Unilever, Molson and BMW among others.

Shelley has served as Strategy Chair of the Miami Ad School, Toronto, and Chair of the
Strategy Awards and a Global Effie judge. She has won over 50 Cannes Lions, so far.
She and her husband of 31 years have 3 children: a welder, a hockey player and a
scholar. Fair warning: Shelley’s hot pickled peppers are not to be trifled with.

Caroline Burke
Country Leader
P&G

A strategic beauty executive with a passion for data-driven consumer insights, Caroline leads P&G’s portfolio of beauty brands in Canada, identifying growth opportunities and emerging trends to drive brand success. A key catalyst behind the transformation of P&G’s personal care segment in Canada, she has been instrumental in elevating the understanding of how to win with underserved groups of Canadian consumers. At P&G Caroline applies her deep expertise in brand management, shopper marketing, business and communication planning, and product and commercial innovation to drive brand success. As  a trusted mentor and leader of P&G’s brand mentorship program, Caroline is committed to fostering talent and guiding the next generation of marketing leaders.

D'Arcy Finley
Vice President, Brand Marketing
Maple Leaf Foods

Julian Franklin
President
Franklin Management Group

Julian Franklin is a Canadian Marketing Hall of Fame member, and business leader with 20+ years client and agency experience in consumer-packaged goods and sports industries. His expertise includes strategic planning, communications, and marketing. His career is distinguished by marketing leadership roles in Canada and the U.S. where he perennially achieved successful business results. Julian has worked for industry leading organizations Toronto Blue Jays, Weston Foods, and Kraft Heinz, where he was North American lead for Kraft Hockeyville. As Managing Director for Geometry Global, he was responsible for leading high-performance teams and creating retail marketing programs for Unilever, GSK, Tim Horton’s and Danone.
Currently he is President, Franklin Management Group Inc. (FMG), a strategic planning, sponsorship and activation consultancy for blue chip clients Danone, Clorox, Kids Help Phone, Kruger, Amazon, Lerners Law Group, and Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Julian’s corporate governance experience is extensive, currently sitting as President, University of Ottawa Alumni Council(Toronto Chapter), and Board of Director/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair - Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada. He is also a Founding Member of POCAM(People of Colour in Advertising & Marketing), an association that advocates the inclusion and advancement of Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour(BIPOC) within Marketing.

Brett Huttman
VP, Strategy, Marketing & Communications.
Purolator Inc.

Brett Huttman is the Vice President, Strategy, Marketing & Communications at Purolator Inc., Canada's leading integrated freight, parcel, and logistics solutions provider. Brett joined Purolator in 2021, bringing with him extensive experience in marketing, strategy, and innovation. Prior to joining Purolator, Brett served as the Head of Strategy and Innovation at the LCBO, leading the introduction of on-demand delivery of alcohol in the province.

In his current role, Brett oversees the marketing, communications, and strategy functions, responsible for developing the long-term strategic plan and stewarding the brand for Purolator. He is known for his ability to identify and capitalize on emerging trends, and his expertise in developing innovative product and service offerings that meet the evolving needs of customers.

Tom Kenny
CSO & Partner
Courage

Nicole Murray
VP, Marketing
Kruger Products

Nicole is an agile, results-oriented marketer with extensive Tier 1 CPG/Retail experience and a strong track record of developing and executing successful integrated marketing campaigns and business strategies. Nicole brings a wealth of diverse experience having worked on iconic brands at J.M. Smucker, Johnson & Johnson, Wrigley, and Coca-Cola, ranging from Food and Beverage to Pet and Confectionary to OTC and beyond. Nicole was appointed to the role of Vice President of Marketing, Kruger products Inc. where she leads a team responsible for the creation and execution of consumer-first brand marketing strategies for core brands, Cashmere® Bathroom Tissue, Purex® Bathroom Tissue, SpongeTowels® Paper Towels, and Scotties® Facial Tissue.

She has distinctive experience with a total business background having worked in marketing, communications, sales/category management, retail and DEI. She has demonstrated expertise in building brands consumers love including launching new brands, M& A integration, introducing award-winning product and packaging innovation, and creating breakthrough advertising all driven by data and insights.

Nicole believes in the importance of fostering high performance, inclusive teams as well as strong agency partnerships leveraging a people-first approach. Nicole’s passion for finding win-win strategies for both her brands and the overall category has augmented the businesses of both manufacturers and retailers. Nicole is dedicated to going above and beyond to support the broader industry including serving on industry association boards and taking a leadership role in steering Smucker Canada Corp. Inclusion and Diversity strategies recognized for these efforts in 2022 as a winner of a Star Women in Grocery Award.

Outside of work, Nicole spends most of her time in an arena as a busy mom of an 11-
year-old hockey-obsessed son.

Nithya Ramachandran
President, CSO
T1

Nithya Ramachandran is a bold strategist, industry innovator, and advocate for purpose-driven marketing. As President & CSO of T1, an experiences agency, she helps brands create meaningful, lasting connections with the people who matter most. With a career spanning Canada, the UK, Spain, and India, Nithya has led strategic marketing initiatives across diverse industries, from global brands to grassroots movements.

A passionate champion of the power of strategy, Nithya believes that great marketing isn’t just creative—it’s intentional, insight-driven, and built for impact. As a judge for the 2025 Strategy Awards, she brings a sharp eye for strategic thinking, innovation, and work that doesn’t just break through but moves audiences and drives real business results.

Maxine Thomas
Chief Strategy Officer
Zulu Alpha Kilo

Maxine has spent her career in some of Canada’s most admired advertising agencies. Prior to Zulu, she was a partner and Head of Strategy at Rethink, and before that spent 16 years as a partner at TAXI. Over the years she has worked with many of the country’s best-known companies, on national icons such as Molson Canadian and Canadian Tire, disruptor brands such as WestJet, and one-of-a kind brands like Viagra. Her combination of business vision and an inspiring way with words has significantly contributed to some of the best known and most effective brand campaigns of the past two decades. Maxine’s two favourite things are a business problem and a blank sheet of paper.

Alan Wen
Vice President, Marketing
TD

Alan serves as Vice President of Marketing at TD, where he leads the Insurance Marketing team to drive growth through customer acquisition, engagement, and loyalty, across the business' broad offering of General Insurance, Small Business Insurance, and Life & Health Insurance. Alan joined TD in 2010, and is known for his strategic marketing leadership, collaborative approach, and ability to develop high performing teams.  He holds his MBA from the Rotman School of Management, and prior to TD, Alan was a Brand Manager at P&G, where he led some of the world’s most recognizable consumer brands.