2025 JURIES
Company/Organization & Achievement Awards Judging Committee | Human Resources, Individual Professional & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee | Management & Customer Service Awards Judging Committee | Corporate Communications/PR, Publications Awards Judging Committee | Marketing & Events Awards Judging Committee | New Products & Product Management Awards Judging Committee | Technology & Sustainability Awards Judging Committee | Video, Social Media, Websites, & App Awards Judging Committee
COMPANY/ORGANIZATION & Achievement Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
Sean Rooney, Co-Founder & Director
Amire, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sean Rooney is the Director of Amire, a multi-award-winning digital marketing agency across Australia and Asia Pacific. Amire provides search engine optimisation (SEO) services, paid media, and data-driven digital strategies. Specialising in the digital marketing industry since 2002, Sean has built a reputation for delivering measurable growth and innovative marketing solutions for businesses across various industries. Sean has worked across global brands such as Microsoft, Toyota, Unilever, and Amnesty International, delivering high-impact digital marketing strategies that drive measurable growth and brand visibility. Sean's expertise lies in SEO strategy, performance marketing, and conversion optimisation. His data-driven approach ensures that clients receive tailored marketing strategies that drive long-term success. Under his leadership, Amire has helped businesses enhance their online visibility, improve search rankings, and achieve significant returns on their digital marketing investments.
Sean founded Amire with a vision to bridge the gap between technical SEO, content marketing, and performance advertising. His agency is known for developing customised marketing solutions, ensuring that every client benefits from a holistic and results-oriented approach. Sean believes in leveraging cutting-edge tools, analytics, and AI-driven insights to refine digital strategies, allowing businesses to outperform their competition in an increasingly competitive online landscape. In addition to SEO, Amire provides Google Ads, social media advertising, and programmatic advertising solutions. Sean ensures that his team stays ahead of industry trends by continuously testing and refining strategies to keep up with evolving search engine algorithms and digital advertising platforms. His commitment to data transparency and ROI-driven results has earned Amire a strong reputation in the industry. Amire also has a very strong focus on providing pro bono digital marketing services to support charities, having already provided A$500,000 in pro bono services.
Sean is a sought-after consultant and speaker on topics related to SEO trends, paid media innovations, and digital growth strategies. His ability to break down complex digital marketing concepts into actionable insights has made him a valuable resource for businesses looking to scale their online presence. Outside of Amire, Sean is passionate about mentoring emerging digital marketers and staying at the forefront of marketing technology innovations. His leadership has positioned Amire as a trusted partner for businesses looking to navigate the complexities of the digital landscape and achieve sustainable growth.
Committee:
Human Resources, Individual professional & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee
Chair: 
Jaeyoung Cho, President
PROne, Co., Ltd., Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Korea
As the current CEO of PROne, he has led over 3,000 projects over the past 32 years since founding the PR company in 1993 and has fostered many PR success stories and experts. In particular, he recently developed the P-ESG index to verify the impact of ESG indicators on sales, stock prices, etc., and is currently developing a dashboard that can easily understand this. In addition, he is making various efforts to expand the PR field and strengthen expertise, such as strengthening PR services through big data analysis as well as branding, crisis management, digital marketing, and public relations.
He has also lectured on numerous PR courses at various universities, including Soongsil University, since 2006, and has published professional books such as "There is No Crisis" (1995), "Risk Society" (2017), "The Art of Persuasion that Saves Companies" (2021), and "PR Theory in the Digital Age" (2021).
He was named PR Person of the Year by the Korea Public Relations Association in 2021 and 2023 PR Person of the Year by the Korea Advertising and Public Relations Association.
Committee:
Chair: 
Alice Grace L. Bautista, President & CEO
OneBPO, Iloilo City, Panay Island, Philippines
Alice Grace L. Bautista is a dynamic entrepreneur and business leader, renowned for her significant contributions to the offshore outsourcing industry. She earned her degree in AB Communication and Media Studies from the University of the Philippines - Visayas, where she developed a strong foundation in effective communication and media strategies. Building on this foundation, she pursued a Master's degree in management business management from the same university, equipping herself with the strategic skills necessary to excel in a competitive business environment. As the President and CEO of OneBPO, an offshore outsourcing company located in Iloilo City, Philippines, Alice has successfully positioned the organization as a leader in customer service, back-office operations, and digital marketing services, primarily supporting retail and e-commerce businesses, healthcare, IT products and services, beauty and wellness, financial and education accounts globally.
Under her visionary leadership, OneBPO has thrived, delivering innovative solutions that empower businesses to enhance their operational efficiency and customer engagement. Alice's exceptional leadership has been recognized with numerous accolades. In 2024, she was awarded the prestigious title Young Ilonggo Entrepreneur Award in Iloilo City, Philippines celebrating her innovative business practices and impactful contributions to the local economy. She also received the Excellence in Customer Service Planning and Practice award during the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards, reflecting her unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding service to clients.
Her influence extends beyond local recognition; she has been honored internationally as the Executive of the Year and Woman of the Year in 2024 at both the International Business Awards in Istanbul, Turkey, and the Women in Business Awards in New York City. Additionally, OneBPO was awarded the Gold Award for Team Management during the Women in Business 2024 event, showcasing Alice's exceptional ability to build and lead high-performing teams. Alice believes in the power of teamwork and collaboration, principles that have been instrumental in maintaining a successful business over the years. She prioritizes cultivating excellent client relationships through open communication and a genuine intention to help, which she considers the cornerstone of her business philosophy. Beyond her professional achievements, Alice is a devoted wife and a proud mother of three boys. She brings her nurturing spirit into the workplace, fostering a supportive environment for her employees. With her passion for innovation and dedication to empowering others, Alice hopes to continue to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs and business leaders, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
Committee:
Corporate Communications/PR & Publications Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
John Frederick Cruz, Senior Director – Head of Agency
BrandPlay, Inc, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Fritz Cruz is an award-winning communicator with 15 years of experience developing and implementing corporate and brand reputation campaigns for multinational corporations and conglomerates from various industries in the Philippines. He has also worked on tourism marketing campaigns for foreign tourism boards and advocacy campaigns for UN-funded programs. He currently leads a passion-driven team of storytellers and PR professionals who are dedicated to developing campaigns that yield lasting impact to clients and the communities they serve.
With the majority of his campaigns having been recognized in the Philippines and abroad, Fritz brings in a wealth of experience in evaluating communication campaigns. He previously served as a judge for the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and was a member of the esteemed IABC Gold Quill Blue Ribbon Panel Committee.
Committee:
Marketing & events Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
Dr. Richard Huzhaoyang, CEO
BrandChina WeStars Communicating Co., Ltd., Suzhou, JiangSu, China
Dr. Richard HUZHAOYANG, CEO of WeStars Communicating Co., Ltd, has more than 15 years working experience in Branding, advertising and communicating industry fields. He is also now working as academic leader of Advertising in Soochow University Applied Technology school.
Richard started his illustrious career via leadership roles at industry-leading Ogilvy&Mather, Mindshare, and Maxus China Headquarter serving top global and local clients such as SVW, Unilever, and DHL, leveraging his successful track records in Media Marketing &Brand Innovation. Dr. Hu has built up a robust network of industry professionals throughout the value chain. He uses professionalism and a consumer-centric & tech-savvy approach to solve problems & add significant values with his Clients.
Committee:
New Products & Product Management Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
Junghieh Shon, CEO
Brand HanaroADCOM, Seoul, Gangnam-Gu, Korea
A Design Management Expert, Educator, and Corporate Leader, Professor Junghieh Shon has been leading the development of next-generation designers and innovation in design thinking as an adjunct professor at Hanyang University's Department of Design for the past 10 years. Based on her deep insight that encompasses both academia and the field, she has taught students the importance of creative problem solving and strategic design management and presented a vision for the future design industry.
In addition, while successfully operating HanaroADCOM for 30 years, she has established an innovative corporate operation model through the convergence of design and management. With a management philosophy that integrates design creativity and business strategy, she has achieved results that lead market trends and maximize brand value in various projects. As a result, she has established herself as a trusted leader in the industry by winning numerous domestic and international awards and creating successful business cases.
Based on her experience as an educator and practitioner, as a professional judge in the field of design management, Junghieh Shon will provide fair and in-depth evaluations based on creativity, strategic insight, and many years of practical experience.
Committee:
TECHNOLOGY & SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS JUDGING COMMITTEE
Chair:
TBA
Committee:
VIDEO, SOCIAL MEDIA, WEBSITES & APP AWARDS JUDGING COMMITTEE
Chair:
Sangsoo Chong, CCO / Vice Chairman
MAD Stars, Seoul, Songpa-gu, Korea
He has been working in advertising for 38 years. He worked as a professor in the Department of Advertising and PR at Cheongju University for 17 years. As a founding member of Ogilvy & Mather Korea, he worked as an ECD / VP for 12 years and worked for 1 year at Lintas Korea, 6 years at Oricom, and 3 years at a production company.
He serves as a judge for several international advertising festivals including the New York Festivals, One Show, APAC Effies and Eurobest. He also received the Korean Prime Minister's Award for meritorious advertising professional and the Red Cross President's Award.