We have assembled a highly experienced judging panel for Channel Champions 2021 with each judge possessing particularly skills to assess entries across our broad spectrum of categories. Each of them will evaluate submissions based on clarity, quality, goals achieved and supporting information provided.
ADRIAN BARNARD
CANDICE CUNLIFFE
DAVID SPARROW
DEREK OWEN
DUNCAN WILKINSON
JAMES EMM
JOHN CHAPMAN
JOHN DONOHOE
KATE WOOD
KATHARINE MCNAMARA
KATIE SLOAN
MARK CURTIS-WOOD
NOVA ARKNEY
Adrian founded the award-winning ICT company, Modern Communications, which he sold in 2014 to embark on his next venture Prime Networks, which he helped re-value before exiting with its future guaranteed. As a media commentator on telecoms and IT, Adrian is now regularly asked to provide market insight on TV and Radio.
Candice is MD and founder of F6 Agency, a full-service marketing and advertising agency whose Channel clients include the country’s top MNOs, leading ISPs, and budding tech start-ups. Her ethos ties marketing to the strategy and success of any business—and her goal is to redefine the expectations and raise the standards of marketing in the Channel.
An experienced sales professional and leader, David is Managing Director of Blabbermouth Marketing, an Award Winning and HubSpot Platinum Partner Agency that specialise in the IT and Telecoms industry. David leads a team of experts in inbound strategy, web, digital marketing, creative and design, PR, brand and content, alongside dedicated account managers that act as extensions of Blabbermouth’s clients’ operations.
Derek has been helping businesses in the ICT sector for well over 20+ years and founded Totem Consulting Group in 2010 to help businesses to develop their strategies to provide real business growth and profitability. Derek has held senior global Business Development and Marketing board level and NED roles in Technology and Retail Businesses such as NEC, Alcatel-Lucent, THUS Telecom, Demon Internet, The Kingfisher Group and B&Q.
Duncan was ‘one of the few’ that initiated channel development within the telco industry. As a Channel Manager at Mercury Communications, he introduced revenue share and enhanced remuneration for the third-party sales of network services and at Energis launched the pivotal ‘Route to resale’ initiative for the dealer community. More recently, Duncan has run his own consultancy and has sat on several technology boards in executive and non-executive roles.
James Emm has been in the telecommunications industry for since and 1987 and with Oak since 1989. James has seen many changes during this time but still believes that the industry is all about Channel. In 2019, Oak Innovation merged with Oak Systems International in Canada and since then James and his partner Phil Reynolds have handed over the 'reins' to their respective sons, William, and David. James remains as chairman and company ambassador.
Though officially retired now after 46 years in the IT and Communications industry, John still moderates panels and leads discussions at major events including the prestigious Comms Vision Convention at Gleneagles and IT Europa’s Managed Services and Hosting Summit.
John has been in front end technology sales since 1980 working for Lloyds Bowmaker, Altus Group and Comtec before co-founding resellers Essential Group and Absolute Voice & Data. He has since become a partner at sales growth and leadership company Believe alongside Kevin Moorhouse.
Kate Wood provides culture as a service to multiple organisations, helping them transform their employee engagement strategy to improve business performance. Passionate about D&I Kate heads up the UK Women in Tech Network Board and sits on the CRN Advisory Board. Kate is an entertaining public speaker and strongly believes all dresses should have pockets.
Following almost a decade with Daisy Group Katharine McNamara co-founded communications agency Konductor. For more than 15 years she has been helping businesses in the tech and telecoms sector gain market share by ensuring they create meaningful conversations with their target audience, presenting them as thought leaders and presenting their proposition to optimum effect.
Katie is Marketing Director at MSP and Microsoft Gold Partner, Core Technology Systems, with a successful career in purposeful, results-driven marketing and partner management. Katie’s strengths include recognising and growing marketing talent, building strong teams and improving sales and marketing alignment for accelerated success.
Mark has spent over 20 years in the telecoms/technology industry at senior management and board director level. He is now the co-founder of Growth Mentors Limited working with tech business owners looking to grow. Mark has worked with some of the World’s leaders in personal development, mindset, sales strategy, digital marketing, finance, and transformational change. As an expert on technological change and the digital economy he was a regular keynote speaker at Margin in Voice & Data.
Through her 10-year career, Nova worked in many different sales roles, including retail, charity, and SaaS sales before she decided it was time to share what she knew with young people to help them to get into sales careers too. Having come from a working-class background, she understands the power of the unique opportunities that exist in sales careers. AimHire creates sales opportunities for social mobility.
