GWG Awards Judges
The industry experts lending their support and expertise in the search for winning websites and apps.
Leonora Bamford
Leonora, mother of three, is founder of My Baba, the UK’s leading pregnancy, parenting and lifestyle publishers and network, and co-founder of Baba West, a supplement for baby and children. She is also a host of Parental Control, where she interviews experts in on issues that effect parents along their parenting journey.
Best thing about my job... It has to be meeting people. The parenting world is full of dynamic interesting entrepreneurs and I’m learning everyday. I’m really enjoying recording my podcast Parental Control at the moment.
Best piece of digital advice I've been given... If you’re starting a website, don’t go bespoke. There are so many wonderful off the shelf themes to choose from and it saves a lot of money in the end.
The website or app that I wish I'd thought of and why... Deliveroo. When I lived in New York everyone got take out and it just wasn’t a thing in England! What a simple genius idea.
Internet hero... Has to be the team at Safe to Net which helps protect platforms from harmful and legal content keeping kids and families safe online. Sharen Pursey was award an OBE last year for her services to internet safety and she is an absolute legend.
What I'm looking for in a winning site/app... An easy to navigate site or app that is interesting and unique. But I definitely think navigation is the key!
Serena Hood
Serena Hood is the Co-founder and CEO of the revolutionary digital shopping platform Collagerie. Good Web Guide winners of Website of the Year 2021, Collagerie hones decades of style know-how into a unique shopping experience, offering inspirational ideas, trusted advice and beautiful buys to suit every budget. Serena has spearheaded fashion events including the Vogue Festival and Fashion’s Night Out during her time as Executive Fashion Director at British Vogue. She knows how to create sold out experiences that appeal to both mainstream audiences and industry insiders. From her role as liaison between the industry and the magazine, Serena understands the business of fashion as well as its more desirable, consumer-facing aspects. She works closely with PR, brands, and the British Fashion Council. Serena began her career at US Vogue in the fashion market department, and has to date worked consistently across high street and luxury brands, including Marc Jacobs, J Crew and Armani.
Salvesen Graham
Established in London in 2013, Salvesen Graham is a creative design studio founded by Mary Graham and Nicole Salvesen. Experts with over 25 years’ experience between them, Mary and Nicole are known for creating timeless designs that are both comfortable and covetable. Taking a unique Future Heritage approach that sees them fuse traditional schemes with bold colour and playful prints, Salvesen Graham work across both residential and commercial properties both in the UK and globally. Current projects include a large country house in Cornwall England, a home in Seattle, USA and several homes in London for both UK and US clients.
Jean Egbunike
A British-born Nigerian, Jean has lived in South West London her whole life. She's a secret nerd - Google obsessed and adores hanging out with her family. A keen cook, Jean loves the cinema, watching mostly art house films and enjoys design and fashion. Jean has run her boutique communications agency that looks after food and homes + interiors clients. The GWG has featured many of her clients over the years and she is delighted to be on this year's judging panel.
Best thing about my job... Each day is different and I get to work with some very talented people - creative and inspiring. I am lucky enough to call many of my clients true friends.
Best piece of digital advice I've been given...Remember you are having a conversation - make it interesting and be interested!
The website or app that I wish I'd thought of and why... Instagram - for obvious reasons! I wish it was still very much the platform it was when it first launched - at that time it really was an incredible app that was full of inspiring content. Also Spotify - my second most used app on my phone - it is a music lover's delight.
Internet hero...Tim Berners-Lee!
What I'm looking for in a winning site/app...Beautiful design, engaging content, originality and straight forward navigation.
Craig Landale
In addition to Craig's passion and love for menswear, he is an experienced online marketing consultant, member of the British Society of Magazine Editors and qualified in Post Compulsory Education and Training. The Founder and Editor-in-Chief of MenswearStyle has previous experiences as leading the marketing department of a corporate clothing company and overseeing the digital marketing of a large menswear group. Through the rapid success of MenswearStyle Craig has been featured in Shortlist Magazine's 'Chosen Few' numerous times, interviewed for non-fiction books and has successfully collaborated with a range of brands such as Mulberry, Harrods, Jaguar and Lacoste to name a few.
Best thing about my job... The flexibility to work on my own terms and make my own decisions.
Best piece of digital advice I've been given... Don't worry too much about the competition, be different and do your own thing.
The website or app that I wish I'd thought of and why... Airbnb because I can no longer imagine life without it. Internet hero: What José Neves has done with Farfetch is remarkable.
What I'm looking for in a winning site/app... A beautiful design, engaging content and unique ideas.
Kate Hiscox
Kate Hiscox started her instagram account and fashion website ‘Wears My Money’ in 2016. The site takes the effort out of both shopping and putting together outfits with online edits of the best fashion finds at all price points. Kate has also spent over 25 years in the music industry, working at Warner Music before going solo in 2020 with her own music PR company representing the likes of Michael Bublé, Coldplay and Noel Gallagher.
Cheryl Laidlaw
Cheryl is not your ordinary web designer, she's a tech futurist and an online curator, helping business owners launch and live their dreams through beautiful web design. Her passion and drive is proven through execution, yielding award winning results over the past seventeen years.
Best thing about my job... I love being creative so having the freedom to design new websites for clients is exciting. But the best reward for me is witnessing the look on my clients faces, when we put their website live.
Best piece of digital advice I've been given... Create compelling content. I find that most people take websites seriously but the words you use on the page have a massive impact on how the website performs.
Invest well in your copywriting and don’t rely too much on Chat GPT, whilst it’s a great tool Google knows when you are using it.
The website or app that I wish I'd thought of and why... Headspace app: Overall I think the aesthetic is beautifully simple, yet clearly considered It’s totally a breath of fresh air. A perfect balanced solution for something that was previously uncatered for.
Internet heroes... Marcus Sheridan or Mark Schafer: they are both amazing speakers and Marketers that are compelling and thought provoking.
What I'm looking for in a winning site/app... I want to ultimately see a great looking website with an amazing user experience. I want to be walked around the website that results in me picking up the phone. Possibly a video or 2!
Abbie Oguntade
Abbie is CEO/Founder of Freya + Bailey Skincare and a self-confessed skincare obsessive and crusader in chief. A seasoned marketeer of 20 years plus working with global brands including Adidas, Swatch and Sonos, she is the former Northern European Vice President of Match Group and previously helped launch the Skincare division of global health care brand Philips.
Best thing about my job... Each day brings something new. Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster with some unpredictable ups and downs. It will change what you have been conditioned to believe and challenge you to grow in unexpected ways. I think that’s a great thing. A daily reminder of your potential, the brands potential. Your team’s potential. That’s inspiration right there.
In terms of my previous corporate experience, I look back with gratitude at the 20 years of Consumer Marketing experience I gained prior to launching Freya + Bailey - especially my years in skincare. I see now that all roads pointed to the one I'm on today. Sometimes, life waits to turn on the GPS.
Best piece of digital advice I've been given... As a brand we curate our messaging and delivery to ensure content is relevant and delivered in manageable chunks. No-one needs to hear from us more than their friends and loved ones you know!
The website or app that I wish I'd thought of and why... Guilty pleasure reveal - it's Tik Tok. Because no house should go a day without the obligatory Tik Tok Bedtime Boogie. Enough Said
Internet hero... OK, so it’s got to be the fearless, irreplaceable @glow_with_ola on Instagram. She’s completely unapologetic and hilarious at the same time as well with some real home truths put out there. Oh, and a gal that appreciates her skin care too????
What I'm looking for in a winning site/app... An instant wow. I want to feel something when I first look on the page. It could be the layout, the photography or indeed headline but I need an instant “Ok, what’s this?” Of course, content is king but it's about how it served up, is there a strong design lineage coming through. How does it perform? Download time, is it intuitive in its framework? Information- does it answer my questions, is the information easily found. It all needs to come together ultimately
John Mitchinson
John is the co-founder of Unbound, a revolutionary publishing house which puts the power in the hands of consumers. It does this by crowdfunding all of its projects, thus ‘liberating ideas’ that don’t quite fit the often-narrow mould of traditional publishing. He is also the co-host of the Backlisted podcast in which he and Andy Miller discuss a book as nominated by their weekly guest, as well as the wider idea of what makes certain stories endure. In his words, John is ‘the oldest of the QI elves’ – one time head of research – and co-author of the official QI series of books.
Louis Lobban
Louis is MD of Zest Digital, an award-winning growth marketing agency focused on driving predictable revenue growth for its clients. Zest positively influence the two most important metrics for businesses marketing online; increasing the volume and quality of traffic and conversions from digital channels.
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