HR BRILLIANCE AWARDS

Katharina is an internationally recognised business communicator with proven delivery of effective global communication strategies and programmes, and has Lean Sigma qualifications for process and performance improvement.

Previous roles include Head of Internal Communications & Engagement at ABB, Head of Employee & Executive Communications at Zurich Insurance, Head of Internal Communications at Rio Tinto, Head of Global Internal and Management Communications at Shell, Head of Global Internal Communications at AstraZeneca, Corporate Communications Lead at GE Capital EEF and Corporate Communications Manager at Corange/Boehringer Mannheim. Katharina has worked in Nigeria, Hong Kong, the UK, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Eric is a senior Consultant and Coach with an extensive international experience in developing HR into a modern function, facilitating complex transformations and coaching executive teams in line with the business strategy. He has worked in different industries during down-turn and high growth phases i.e. Oil and Gas, Mining, Manufacturing, Retail, Airline, Financial Services and Professional Services. In addition to holding roles in the UK, France and Argentina, he has travelled and worked globally in particular in the emerging markets.

Eric has an executive degree from the Harvard Business School (AMP) in addition to an MBA and an engineer degree. He is a Board member of 2 international HR MBAs. He also co-founded Pachamama Foods in Nigeria that helps get out of malnutrition more than 250000 children.

Phil Askham has over 20 years’ experience helping global corporates and public bodies become more productive, purposeful and fulfilling workplaces. He is expert in employee engagement, culture development and organisational change. As a former Global Head of Employee Communications at HSBC, Phil played a major part in strengthening the firm’s risk culture. He also helped propel O2 to become to the UK’s number one mobile provider by modernising its employee and customer experience. He is now Head of Organisational Change & Employee Experience at Montfort Communications, a specialist communications and reputation management consultancy.

<p style=”font-weight: 400″>Annabel Dunstan is an accomplished entrepreneur and Founder &amp; CEO of Question &amp; Retain, a leading insights consultancy specialising in employee experience, client, and membership satisfaction measurement tools. Annabel began her career as a lumberjack’s assistant, a ski guide, and then a sailing instructor before entering the world of marketing. She later joined Le Fevre Communications, where she worked on consumer and corporate PR campaigns for clients like NatWest and BT. In 2003, Annabel joined 3 Monkeys Communications, where she was appointed MD three years later, overseeing the growth of the award-winning top 50 PR consultancy to £7.5m revenues with 75 consultants.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400″>Annabel is the published author of The People Business: How Ten Leaders Drive Engagement Through Internal Communications (Kogan Page), and a host for the PRCA’s Employee Engagement on-line guest show: Chat and Connect.. In her free time, Annabel enjoys playing alto sax, swimming in the sea, playing tennis, and cycling.</p>

Trudy Lewis is a communication consultant, executive coach, and international speaker. She has a passion to help leaders, professionals, and their teams to develop influence and create impact as they master effective communication.

Trudy has over 20 years’ experience focusing on strategic internal communications, employee engagement and change communications, supporting leading organisations from retail, hospitality, rail, construction, and professional services industries.

Throughout her career, Trudy has championed communications and its management and as such has an MA in Communications Management, is a Chartered PR Practitioner, Fellow, and former Director of the Board of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). She is also co-chair of the Institute of Director’s (IoD) Marketing Communications group, member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and co-hosts an award-winning podcast – Calm Edged Rebels.

Shrenik Gandhi is a entrepreneur and leader in the digital marketing and creative industries.
He is a co-founder and CEO of the India-based White Rivers Media (WRM) group, a creative, media, and technology transformation company.

As one of the most quoted voices in digital and social media marketing, he regularly serves on numerous global award juries and celebrated panels.

Under his leadership, WRM won more than 200 awards in 2023 alone.

WRM recently launched Capital Z, their Gen-Z research and think tank arm, which deeply understands young audiences and their evolving relationship with social media and the internet.

Eugene Mischenko is the President of the E-Commerce &amp; Digital Marketing Association. He has extensive experience in the e-commerce industry, having held leadership positions at globally recognised companies such as METRO, Sanofi, and L’Occitane.

Eugene’s collaborative nature and deep understanding of innovation make him an ideal contributor to any judging panel, ensuring well-rounded and fair evaluations of submissions.

Originally from Germany, Jan has over 15 years of experience in Asia, working in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok. A seasoned expert in communication and marketing, he has held key roles at Huawei, OPPO, and foodpanda. Jan specializes in driving measurable business results through data-driven campaigns and effective leadership for leading brands across various industries in China, Asia Pacific, and Western Europe. Fluent in English and German, with conversational Mandarin skills, Jan holds an MBA from Manchester Business School. Since 2023, he has led Virtus Asia Consulting as CEO, aiming to be the partner he always wanted.

Ankur is an experienced Site Reliability Engineer with a strong background in software engineering, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. His research focuses on optimising cloud infrastructure, enhancing system reliability, and integrating advanced observability techniques to improve system performance and security. With expertise in automation, DevOps, and incident management, he has successfully led projects that reduced downtime, increased system availability, and delivered significant operational improvements.

Ashok is a highly accomplished Technology Architect with over a decade of experience in driving transformative projects across the financial services, healthcare, and communications sectors. Renowned for his expertise in Business Process Management (BPM) and enterprise-level solutions, Ashok has consistently delivered innovative strategies that streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and improve system performance.

Throughout his career, Ashok has demonstrated exceptional leadership and technical acumen, including spearheading a communication framework that improved automation rates by 55%, reduced system downtimes by 40%, and enhanced scalability by 40%. His ability to assess complex challenges and provide actionable solutions has saved organizations millions in operational costs.

Ashok is also an author and thought leader, contributing valuable insights through articles like “Seamless Integration: Unlocking Efficiency with BPM, Salesforce, Kafka, and MuleSoft.” He is deeply involved in strategic decision-making, including evaluating vendor prototypes to mitigate risks and optimize business outcomes.

A mentor and team builder, Ashok’s contributions extend beyond project success, fostering innovation and professional growth within his teams. He is an advocate for leveraging technology to create sustainable and impactful business transformations.