As anticipation builds for the Cairns Hatchlings, presented by Yahoo, the spotlight now turns to the all-star panel of second-round judges who will help decide the fate of this year’s standout talent from Australia, India and Thailand.
Across seven fiercely competitive categories—Audio, Design, Digital, Marketing, Media, PR and Video—these jurors represent some of the most respected voices in advertising, media, tech, creative and brand leadership. With decades of experience between them, this diverse and dynamic panel is set to bring deep insight and razor-sharp judgement to the final stages of the competition.
Over two days of live judging in Cairns, category panels will interrogate, evaluate, and ultimately elevate the ideas that rise above the rest. Each room will feature a carefully balanced mix of global creatives, media strategists, brand leaders, tech innovators and agency heavyweights.
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Meet The Second Round Judges
| Name | Job Title | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Lizzie Young | CEO | Commercial Radio Australia |
| Ralph van Dijk | Founder | Eardrum |
| Henrik Isaksson | Managing Director | Acast |
| John McNerney | Managing Director AUSEA | Yahoo |
| Brian Gallagher | Chair | Boomtown |
| Nat Harvey | CEO | Mamamia |
| Patrick Guerrera | Consultant | M&C Saatchi |
| Jon Foye | Creative Partner | Akcelo |
| Yosuke Suzuki | Founder | 24C |
| Tom Wenborn | Head of Creative | Thinkerbell |
| Elizabeth McIntyre | CEO | OMA |
| Steph Gwee | Creative Director | TBWA Melbourne |
| Phoebe Sloane | Senior Creative / Founder | The Aunties (Clemenger) |
| Alex Pacey | Chief Product Officer | OMG |
| Brett Stiller | Creative Director ANZ | Monks |
| Amaury Treguer | Co-Founder | Bread |
| Cassie Gilbert | Head of Agency Development ANZ | |
| Alex Rienecker | Head of Digital | Swisse Wellness |
| Roshni Hegerman | Enterprise Director & Sustainability Lead JAPAC | Oracle |
| Phillippa Netolicky | General Manager | Thinkerbell |
| Ben Mayor | Social Director | Akcelo |
| Mark Leong | (Role not specified) | 24C |
| Renee Stopps | Commercial Lead | Microsoft APAC |
| Danielle Hamilton | CMO | ING |
| Lisa Little-Cain | Head of Advertising | Aldi Australia |
| Esme Ribarovski | People Experience Director | Volvo Cars |
| Caitlin Bancroft | CMO | Collective Wellness |
| Mel Hopkins | CMO | |
| Liam Loan-Lack | Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer | Match & Wood |
| Emma Logan | Project Owner | Emma Logan Co |
| Leigh Terry | APAC CEO | IPG Mediabrands |
| Jacquie Alley | COO | The Media Store |
| Margie Reid | CEO | Thinkerbell |
| Asier Carazo | Chief Strategy Officer | Atomic 212 |
| Sangeeta Leech | Founder | The Leach Partnership |
| Matt Scotton | Chief Product Officer | EssenceMediacom |
| Lou Barrett | Managing Director | News Australia |
| Lyndelle O’Keefe | CEO | Match & Wood |
| Mary Prolux | Co-Founder | Bread |
| Chris Colter | Managing Director, Media Strategy | Accenture Song |
| Catherine Rushton | Chief Strategy Officer | This Is Flow |
| Rory Heffernan | CEO | Atomic 212 |
| Nichole Provatas | EVP, APAC Head of Integrated Marketing | We Worldwide |
| Rochelle Burbury | Principal | Third Avenue |
| Taylor York | Head Thinker (Earned) | Thinkerbell |
| Azadeh Williams | Managing Partner | AZK Media |
| Alex Hayes | Principal | Clear Hayes |
| Rosie Baker | Group Communications Director | GroupM |
| Dianna La Grassa | Head of Screen | Bus Stop Films |
| Beaurey Chan | Social & Content Lead (Netflix ANZ) | SnackDrawer |
| Alexis Whelan | National Lead, Creators & Content | Kinesso |
| Lennie Galloway | ACD | Droga5 |
| Charlotte Berry | Senior Copywriter | Howatson+Company |
These judges aren’t just experts—they’re mentors, leaders, and provocateurs who will push this year’s finalists to sharpen their stories, defend their decisions, and unleash their full creative potential.
Finalists to Watch
And speaking of finalists… from more than 120 entries across the Asia Pacific region, the shortlist includes rising stars from Australia, India and Thailand, representing agencies and brands like Nova Entertainment, Thinkerbell, VML, Google, Amazon Prime Video, and Out of the Square Media.
Audio – Sponsored by Acast
- Meg Mayger & Jack McBryde, Nova Entertainment — Australia
- Sarah Brighton & Sally Fiddes, Ogilvy — Australia
- Shilpi Dey & Shabbir Abbas, VML — India
Design
- Annabel Begeng & Lily Lazzarotti, Thinkerbell —Australia
- Veerisa Boonrod, ESIC & Atipa Rungrojboon, Boonrawd Trading —Thailand
- Annabel Cook & Maddy Merzvinskis, Re Design — Australia
Digital – Sponsored by Reddit
- Annabelle Harrington, AFFINITY & Sophie Millar, The Insight Centre— Australia
- Amy Peden, +61 and TBWA & Stephen Hanna, Playside Studios — Australia
- Hilary O’Sullivan & Hughie Flannery, Thinkerbell — Australia
Marketing – Sponsored by Boomtown
- Jarrod Schwager, Mad Mex & Campbell Johnson, Amazon Prime Video — Australia
- Keira Spencer & Laura Currie, Google — Australia
- Olivia Ford & Laura Jeffries, Google — Australia
Media – Sponsored by Yahoo!
- Ben Breden & Leah Franco, Initiative — Australia
- Olivia Casamento & Ashley Hill, Match & Wood — Australia
- Louise Laumberg & Rachel Monteiro — Slingshot
PR
- Claudia Warren & Francesca Hampton, Havas Red — Australia
- William Cullen & Airlie Walters, Thinkerbell — Australia
- Rauf Shaik & Komal Nathani, VML — India
Video – Sponsored by Publica
- Thomas Carr & Louis Tanner, oOh!media — Australia
- Ryan Williams & Emmerson Maclean, Out Of The Square Media — Australia
Each finalist team will descend on Cairns this May to take on a 24-hour creative challenge, with the support of sponsors including Yahoo, Acast, Reddit, Boomtown and Publica. Their work will culminate in a live pitch and awards night on May 15, where one team from each category will be crowned the 2025 Hatchlings winners.
Get your Cairns Crocodiles tickets now!
The energy is electric. The judges are ready. And the ideas? They’re just getting started.
