The Northern Digital Awards have been celebrating all things digital in the North of England for over 10 years.
Ethical, transparent and respected, the awards are judged by esteemed industry experts who follow a robust two-step judging process that includes pre-scoring to establish a shortlist and judge discussion to determine winners and, in some cases, silver awards.
None of our award judges can take part in the competition, and any conflicts of interest must be declared.
The Northern Digital Awards have been accredited ‘Outstanding’ by the Independent Awards Standards Council – Awards Trust Mark.
To apply to become a judge, fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
Abbi has had a long career in Financial Services which has given her a deep understanding of customer needs, motivations and behaviours. An avid consumer of social media herself, she has lead on a number of social media campaigns for Barclays UK across a range of segments from home-ownership to wealth management and everything in between. Most recently her focus has been on engaging at an ultra-local level with customers and communities across the UK working with agencies, professionals and colleagues to build the value of the Barclays brand.
Alex Cropper | Head of Technology | Kaboodle
Alexander Cropper is an accomplished technology leader with over 20 years of experience, currently serving as the Head of Technology at Kaboodle where Alex spearheads the strategic direction, development, and scaling of Kaboodle's modular booking platform, which seamlessly integrates ticketing, travel, and accommodation services. This has solidified partnerships with high-profile clients and enabling robust cloud solutions to support global events. His strategic foresight and technical expertise have driven Kaboodle’s innovation, enhancing client experiences and fostering sustained business growth. Alex's success in technology began early in his career at Laterooms.com, an entrepreneurial venture during the dot-com boom, where he significantly contributed to its transformation into a leading online hotel booking service. His background combines a deep technical acumen with exceptional business insight, underscored by his successful history of leading multidisciplinary teams and transformative projects.
Stephen Kenwright | Non-executive director and consultant | Stephen Kenwright Ltd
Stephen founded SEARCH-FIRST creative agency Rise at Seven in 2019, growing it to employ 110 people across 4 offices and reaching revenues of more than £7m, before exiting in 2022. He previously held senior roles at digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta PLC and the UK's largest automotive retailer Pendragon PLC. He founded SearchLeeds, a conference that hosted more than 2,000 marketers at the first direct arena in its most recent iteration.
Meriem Nacer | Performance Marketing Consultant | 4M Digital Consulting ltd | 4M Digital
Meriem Nacer is the founder of 4M Digital Consulting Ltd, where she applies 13+ years’ paid media agency experience to provide cutting-edge PPC, Display, YouTube, and Paid Social advertising strategies. A Google Ads and Microsoft Ads specialist, Meriem's expertise extends from strategic consultancy and audits to hands-on management and training for global brands and retailers. Her budget management skills are exemplary, having handled weekly budgets from £500 to £3M, amounting to over £150M annually. Meriem's work encompasses a diverse range of sectors, including retail, cosmetics, luxury, travel and finance, making her a versatile and sought-after digital marketing consultant. She is also a published author and certified PTLLS-accredited trainer, recognised for her contributions to digital marketing knowledge and education.
Nick Rusling | CEO | City Wellbeing Series Ltd
Andrew Diggle | Head of Digital Content | Formula 1
Andrew is a deeply experienced global media leader, expert in directing large-scale sports and entertainment digital platforms, international fan engagement and commercialisation. Currently he oversees global digital content for Formula 1, one of the fastest growing sports across digital platforms in the world. Previously Andrew oversaw Content, Programming and Production at Manchester United, and directed all of its media platforms through unprecedented digital transformation, growth and extension in a ground-breaking commercial and digital environment. Prior to Sport, Andrew was central in B2B and B2C start-ups in funding and innovation support, and digital publishing in the scientific, medical and reference areas.
Sian Nicholas | Global Social Media Manager | Charlotte Tilbury
A driven and ambitious creative, with 6 years experience working in social media and fashion marketing for both leading retailers and on a freelance basis. Siân is currently Global Social Media Manager at Charlotte Tilbury and her speciality focuses on Instagram and events. A graduate of University of Southampton, Winchester School of Art with a 2:1 honours degree in Fashion Marketing, plus additional modules in Writing for The Creative Industries and Writing to Publication. Siân also holds a certification in Fashion Law from The Fashion Law Institute at Fordham University, NYC.
Abdu Alhadithi | Digital & eCommerce Leader | Fractional Digital Director, The Growth Hyve | Host, Still Loading Podcast
Abdu Alhadithi is a digital, eCommerce and marketing leader with over 17 years of experience helping brands accelerate growth, scale internationally and improve profitability. Having held senior leadership roles at global organisations including THG Ingenuity, Heathrow Airport and Philips, as well as high-growth consumer brands, Abdu brings extensive experience at the intersection of digital commerce, marketing, data and technology. As a Fractional Digital Director, he partners with ambitious businesses to unlock sustainable, profitable growth through eCommerce and data technology optimisation, marketing effectiveness, international expansion and connected commerce strategies. Abdu is also the host of Still Loading, a podcast exploring the real stories, challenges and lessons behind growth in marketing, eCommerce and retail. A regular industry speaker, panel moderator and awards judge, he is passionate about challenging conventional thinking, connecting strategy with execution and recognising innovation that delivers meaningful commercial impact.
Nadya Koleva | CEO | Eventagrate
Nadya is a senior executive with an outstanding track record in Marketing, Events, Operations, Interactive Technology and Business Development, working with companies such as NEOM, HBO Max, Cartier, Nokia, Atlantis, Nissan, Qatar Airways etc. A proven leader of high-performing teams, who aim to create seamless journeys both online and offline, connecting the dots of what it truly means to be “digital”. Most recently Nadya was the head of Planning, Operations and Data science of NEOM’s Marketing team and has just transitioned to her new role as a CEO of a digitally driven real estate company in Dubai.
Leomerly is an International SEO and AI Search Strategist with over 10 years of experience across agency, in-house and consulting roles. She specializes in technical SEO, semantic search, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), LLM visibility and scalable content systems, helping businesses strengthen their presence across both traditional search engines and emerging AI platforms. Her approach combines strategic thinking, technical expertise and automation to solve complex search challenges and turn organic visibility into measurable business growth. She has built AI-powered SEO workflows using n8n, Python, APIs and AI agents, reducing content production and publishing time by up to 70%. Her career achievements also include scaling a digital platform to 1.4 million monthly organic sessions and converting 12% of its organic traffic into qualified B2B leads. Passionate about the evolution of search, Leomerly values innovation that is purposeful, user-focused and supported by strong strategic foundations. As a judge, she looks for work that combines creativity, technical excellence and meaningful results.
Laura Iancu | Independent SEO & AI Search Consultant | SearchPedia
Laura Iancu is an independent SEO and AI Search Consultant with 7+ years’ experience shaping search strategies that put humans first. Founder of SearchPedia, she’s known for her quirky, big-idea thinking and her sharp, user-focused approach to SEO. A member of Women in Tech SEO and a recognised industry voice, Laura brings creativity and clarity for modern search, helping both emerging brands find their footing and established brands adapt and thrive in a changing landscape.
Rejoice Ojiaku | SEO Manager | Nelson Bostock UNLIMITED
Rejoice Ojiaku is an SEO Specialist & Content Strategist, as well as the Co-Founder of B-DigitalUK – a platform for showcasing and empowering black talent in the UK digital marketing scene. Her expertise lies in SEO, Diversity and inclusion, all bolstered by strong personal branding both online and offline.
Ash Billinghay | Freelance Copywriter
Ash Billinghay is a freelance copywriter who's written for loads of brands you'll have heard of, and plenty more you won't have. His words have gone on TV, press, websites, billboards, direct mail and more, and all have one thing in common: they're words people want to read. His copy makes people laugh, makes people love, occasionally makes people cry (on purpose), and definitely makes people take action. He specialises in creating distinct tones of voice that boost brands' visibility across every medium, with brands such as first direct, Samsung, Eurovision and Hallmark all benefiting from his approach.
Gill Smith | Marketing Director & Consultant | Charles & Ivy
Gill is commercial digital leader with significant experience building and leading teams to drive performance and profit growth. With two decades of experience across premium homewares, retail, ecommerce, and service sectors, Gill is passionate about transferring knowledge and experience to unlock revenue growth for clients through her fractional marketing leadership and consultancy roles. Gill is actively involved in the marketing and digital community through events, awards, and mentoring programs, and has recently received an MBA with distinction for her paper around Female Entrepreneurship in the UK.
Jaime Hill | Ecommerce Director | ex Oak Furnitureland, Hurtigruten & Monsoon Accessorize
Jaime has over two decades of experience as a Marketing & Ecommerce professional with a successful track record leading teams and developing strategy to transform organisations’ digital capability and channels to market. She has had success in roles at brands including Avis, Barclays, Dairy Crest and Oak Furnitureland, and across a wide range of B2B and B2C vertical markets. Most recently, Jaime was Interim Head of Ecommerce & Trading at Monsoon. A graduate of the Institute of Digital Marketing and qualified Executive Business Coach, Jaime's professional passion is for making life easier for the customer at every touch point.
Elizabeth Rybalchenko | Social Media Lead | Jacob & Co
Yelyzaveta Rybalchenko is a Social Media Lead with 10 years of experience scaling consumer brands in beauty, luxury, and fashion across US and international markets. She currently leads global social media and influencer marketing at Jacob & Co — the $188M luxury watch and jewelry brand named the fastest-growing Swiss watch brand of 2025 by Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult — where she doubled the brand’s earned media value from $3M to $6M in five months. Previously, as Head of Social Media at Lamel Cosmetics, she led the brand’s US market entry, driving 280% YoY revenue growth and expanding retail distribution from 500 to 1,500 stores, including a New York Fashion Week partnership featured in Vogue.
Joanna Bodley | Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the Digital Marketer Degree Apprenticeship | Manchester Metropolitan University
Joanna Bodley is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University and Programme Leader for the Digital Marketer Degree Apprenticeship. With extensive experience in higher education, professional training and industry engagement, she is passionate about helping students and apprentices develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to succeed in the modern workplace. Joanna is a strong advocate for creating meaningful links between academia and industry, ensuring learners are equipped with real-world experience, insight and connections that enhances their career readiness. Alongside her academic role, Joanna draws on over ten years of industry experience spanning creative, communications, agency and in-house environments. She has developed, implemented and overseen social and digital strategies for a wide range of organisations, including The Co-operative Bank, Gumtree and Chewits, providing strategic guidance across digital marketing, social media, content and advertising. She has also delivered professional training for numerous organisations, including Econsultancy. In addition to her university work, Joanna runs her own consultancy, Jo & Co., where she continues to support organisations with their digital marketing and communications strategies.
Jennifer Szczepaniak Sloane | Marketing Manager | Lynton
With over a decade in Marketing, Jennifer is an expert in marketing processes and requirements for delivering success. Jennifer started her career within the science industry and has since gained experienced in a range of verticals, progressing from a Product and Marketing executive, through to Head of Marketing. After completing her MBA at Leeds University, Jennifer applied her knowledge, combined with previous experience to help grow her company. Jennifer is always looking to learn more from within and outside of her industry and champions innovation at any opportunity.
Kai Kurihara | Senior Website Manager | NCC Group
Kai Kurihara is a digital transformation leader and Senior Website Manager at NCC Group, responsible for the strategy, performance, and growth of the company’s global web presence. With over 20 years’ experience across digital marketing, UX, SEO, analytics, web design, and web technologies, he delivers high-performing digital experiences that balance user needs, technical excellence, and commercial impact.
Simon To | Digital Director & Consultant | Website3.com |
Simon To is the Digital Director & Consultant at Website3.com, Simon goes above and beyond delivering performance marketing solutions for clients. Simon has over 12+ years of practical experience and 200+ clients under his belt. Website3.com is a new generation of digital media & marketing, supporting clients with the new wave of generative AI in marketing and automation. Website3 provides hands on digital consultancy for all your marketing needs. Website3 Paid Media Services include: Google . PPC . Shopping . Search . Bing . Social Media . Facebook . Instagram . YouTube . CTV . Display . Programmatic . Native . Analytics . Strategy . Planning . Delivery
Nicola Paul | ECommerce & Digital Consultant | Yellow Bird Digital
Nicola Paul is the founder of Yellow Bird Digital, an independent e-commerce and digital marketing consultancy. With over 15 years’ experience, she advises independent brands on profitable growth, bringing commercial insight and a clear understanding of the customer journey. A Shopify Partner, Nicola specialises in e-commerce strategy, website optimisation, paid media and email marketing. Working across food and drink, fashion, gifting, sport, health and wellness, she helps brands and in-house teams make informed decisions, sharpen their marketing strategy and improve online performance.
Elaine Mullan | Head of Marketing | Corlytics |
Elaine Mullan is the Head of Marketing at Corlytics, a leading global provider of regulatory risk intelligence and analytics for the financial services industry. She brings extensive experience from her successful tenure at various technology firms, where she led impactful marketing campaigns and product launches on a global scale. Elaine has been recognised as one of the top 30 most influential marketers in the fintech sector.
Sharon Peredo Sahid | Digital Experience Optimization Consultant
A marketer, strategist, and SEO enthusiast with expertise in website optimization. Sharon has worked across diverse markets and niches, enhancing customer experiences, acquisition funnels, and conversion rates. Passionate about helping brands elevate their visibility, positioning, and USPs across search engines and LLMs, she’s also deeply curious about AI-driven strategies and experimentation frameworks.
Limor Barenholtz | SEO Director | Similar Web
Limor is the SEO Director at Similarweb, and has been practicing SEO for 20 years now. Limor specializes in all aspects of Technical SEO - From JavaScript SEO & rendering, through mobile & multi-device optimization, all the way to page experience metrics - She loves the challenges it presents, clean codes makes her smile & creating scalable SEO strategies makes her happy. As the former Head of SEO at McCann Tel Aviv, Limor has vast experience in both local & international SEO for major brands & publishers, as well as in planning & integration with multi-channel campaigns. Limor is a speaker at BrightonSEO, co-author of the "In-house SEO Book", and a judge at The Drum Awards When she's not doing SEO, Limor loves playing Poker and handball, listening to music, and being with her baby twins - Naomi & Maayan.
Chirag Kumar | Co-Founder
Archana Dhankar | Senior Director, Marketing- Global Demand & Social Media | Sutherland
With 20+ years of experience in global marketing, I specialize in growth strategies powered by strategic AI implementation. I have helped organizations enhance marketing and sales effectiveness while delivering measurable business outcomes. As a LinkedIn Top Voice (2024) and TEDx speaker, I'm passionate about helping marketing organisations embrace AI while maintaining brand integrity and human creativity at the core of their strategies.
Bethany Weatherhead | Director & SEO Specialist | Ruddy Duck Digital
I am the Director and SEO Specialist at Ruddy Duck Digital LTD, a UK-based SEO company helping businesses and individuals with their SEO strategies and providing training. With over 10 years of experience in SEO and marketing, I have worked in agency and in-house roles, leading strategies for brands including finance, retail, health and technology.
David Edmundson-Bird | Principal Lecturer in Digital Marketing & Enterprise Associate Director: Digital Innovation | Manchester Metropolitan University
David Edmundson-Bird is Principal Lecturer in Digital Marketing and Faculty Lead for AI at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, responsible for developing policy and good practice embedding the use and practice of Digital and AI in teaching, research and business engagement. He lectures on core taught modules in SEO, digital strategy and E-Commerce at degree apprentice, undergraduate, and postgraduate level. David has worked in senior management roles in the digital sector (opening Manchester’s 2nd web design agency - Sozo - in 1995 and taking on his first E-commerce client in 1996) as well as spells in academia. He consults for SMEs providing training, coaching, and mentoring in strategic marketing, digital marketing practice, and e-commerce development themes. He delivers Digital and AI practice learning for SMEs as part of the UK Government Help to Grow programme as well as the UKRI-funded Centre for Digital Innovation. He is co-author of editions 7 and 8 of Pearson’s Digital Business & E-commerce Management with Dave Chaffey and Tanya Hemphill.
Dawn Anderson | Founder | Bertey ltd
Dawn Anderson is the founder of SEO consultancy and digital marketing boutique agency, Bertey, based in Manchester, UK. Dawn is an international conference speaker (UK, US, AUS, IT, FR, ES), covering advanced technical SEO, AI search and digital marketing topics. Dawn has spoken at some of the leading global search and AI search marketing conferences, including Pubcon (Las Vegas and Florida), SASCON, Brighton SEO, SMX London (London (UK)), SMX West (San Jose (US)), SMX Advanced (Boston (US)), Milan (Italy), MozCon (US) and State of Search (US). Dawn provides strategic SEO and AI Search consultancy for leading brands both UK wide and internationally. Dawn also periodically lectures and provides corporate in-house training on SEO and digital marketing strategies.
Karen Webber is a marketing coach and strategist. As the owner of Goodness Marketing, Karen helps small businesses with big hearts do marketing that feels good, does good and gets good results.
Steve Kuncewicz | Head Of Creative, Digital & Marketing | Glaisyers ETL
Steve is a Partner and Head of Creative, Digital and Marketing at Glaisyers ETL in Manchester. He specialises in intellectual property, media social media and privacy law and is listed as a "recommended lawyer" in the Legal 500, and was a oo-founder pf the Bulletproof Agency Network. He is a regular media spokesperson, and has given interviews to the local and national press through BBC Breakfast, Sky News, ITV, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC London. Steve is also the Manchester Publicity Association’s Honorary Solicitor.
Daniel Saunders | Director of Digital | Evergreen Finance London
I've worked in Digital for 18 years. Within Digital marketing I work closely with the directors and heads of service to identify new business opportunities and Strategies. Having an in-depth understanding of different markets and competitors in the area to maintain a competitive advantage which is used to work alongside key stakeholders in managing the translation of the business strategy into clear plans. Proactively researching markets, competitors within different regions and establishing ways to develop a competitive advantage within our strategies. Within Stanley Black and Decker, I am a catalyst for change, I plan and execute UK market E-commerce and digital marketing activities to increase sales, grow online channels, and grow new and existing online customers managing substantial 6 figures budgets over many different groups. As an international keynote speaker in the Digital sphere, I inspire and lead a large team of specialists, drive the delivery of brilliant digital products and services, mentoring at levels from executives to C suite. I utilize analytics and insight tools to evaluate end-to-end customer experience across multiple customer touch points. Working with trade marketing teams to analyse product categories and make appropriate product mix recommendations and effectively contributes to SEO, PPC, UX and CRO. I have built, nurtured and lead a diverse, multidisciplinary team to deliver digital transformation across the Stanley Black and Decker group. Defining the required digital capabilities across our people, their processes, and the technology we use. With Stanley Black and Decker being a multinational corporation, I make myself a visible leader by holding regular lectures and Q and A sessions with entry executives all the way up to C suite teams.
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The awards ceremony reminds us how strong digital performance is in the north of the UK, and it’s great to have this recognised at an event. As an agency, it’s great to come together with agencies and businesses from the north to recognise some of the fantastic work completed over the last 12 months and celebrate in true northern style! Cedarwood Digital
The Northern Digital Awards is a highly anticipated event that celebrates the outstanding achievements of digital marketing agencies across the North of England. Simul Digital’s nominations across multiple categories highlight our expertise and dedication to excellence. We are proud to have been shortlisted for the following awards: Best PPC Campaign, Best Ecommerce Website, and Best Small Digital Agency of the Year. Simul Digital
We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a finalist across all six of the categories we entered. outbloom was created as an accessible solution for brands looking for innovative solutions and experienced partners for their performance marketing. This is the first time we have entered the Northern Digital Awards since founding outbloom, so to be shortlisted against our peers, many of whom we know personally, is a true testament to our values and success over the past 18 months. We couldn’t be more proud to be shortlisted, and are looking forward to the awards night (we all know Northerners know how to party!) outbloom
We couldn’t be prouder to be shortlisted for the third year on the trot, and especially when we have secured a place on the shortlist in four award categories! We take these awards very seriously and always find it rewarding to be recognised independently for the hard work that we as a team, together with our partners, put in day in and day out. Whilst the wider market conditions have been challenging over the last twelve months, we have managed to deliver another record-breaking year, and we can never underestimate the contribution of our partners to our continued success. We’re looking forward to attending the Northern Digital Awards together with our Northern-based partners and hopefully toasting a victory! Face the Future
It’s amazing to be shortlisted for the Northern Digital Awards for the third year in a row. As a proud Yorkshireman and Northern company, we’re delighted to be shortlisted alongside the best campaigns and digital businesses in the North. Being recognised shows the power of teamwork, with Face the Future’s performance continuing to positively trend against the market, which is seeing negative growth. We’re looking forward to attending the Northern Digital Awards with the team from Face the Future and Green Ginger Digital. Good luck to everyone who has been shortlisted! Face the Future
Entering the Northern Digital Awards was a smooth, supportive, and genuinely enjoyable process. The Don’t Panic team were clear, organised, and approachable throughout, making it an exciting experience for the whole team. Outrank
