#MIMA26 Judges
Our panel of expert judges has been carefully hand-picked to ensure a broad mix of disciplines – and, with industry stalwarts from specialist lending to trade bodies, we're confident that our judges will be able to select the most worthy winners for each category. For more information about each of our judges, see their profiles below (more judges to be added soon).
Nick
Allen
Head of Marketing, Products & Proposition
Jodie
Andrews
Head of sales, marketing & partnerships
Jake
Atkinson
Director, Growth
Darryl
Barkwill
B2B Marketing Manager
Rachel
Eason-Whale
Head of Impact and Inclusion
Maddie
Gray
Senior Marketing Specialist
Phil
Green
Marketing Director
Vikki
Harrison
Senior content creation
Emily
Hill
Junior PR Manager
Paul
Hunt
Co-Founder/Owner
Kim
McGinley
Director
Haley
McPherson
Group Marketing Director
Christine
Morgan
Head of Communications
Giorgia
Paganuzzi
Head of Marketing, Real Estate
Wendy
Quantrilll
Marketing Manager, Mortgages
Andrew
Roberts
Head of Marketing
Charlotte
Rutter
Head of Partnerships & Marketing
Lisa
Stones
Operations Director
Nick Allen
Head of Marketing, Products & Proposition
Nick Allen is Head of Marketing, Product & Proposition – Lending at GB Bank, responsible for driving product strategy, proposition development, and marketing initiatives across the bank’s specialist lending portfolio.
With more than two decades of experience in the mortgage and specialist finance sector, Nick was involved in creating Vida Homeloans, where he was instrumental in building the business from scratch, into a market-leading specialist mortgage provider, delivering £2.6 billion of lending within its first five years.
Alongside his career, Nick also serves as a Non-Executive Director at OMS, a technology business focused on delivering innovative digital solutions to the financial services industry. He is passionate about combining customer-centric product development, technology, and strong intermediary relationships to drive sustainable growth and deliver positive outcomes for borrowers and brokers alike.
Jodie Andrews
Head of sales, marketing & partnerships
I am Jodie Andrews, Head of Marketing, Sales & Partnerships at One Mortgage System, where I lead all front-facing functions across sales, marketing, partnerships and business development. Over the past few years, I have helped drive OMS's growth by expanding our lender network, securing strategic partnerships, and leading major mortgage technology projects from concept through to successful delivery.
I am passionate about using technology to improve outcomes across the mortgage industry and believe strongly in collaboration, innovation and developing people. Alongside my commercial role, I regularly contribute to industry panels, events and discussions, and am proud to have been recognised through initiatives such as the industry's 30 Under 30 programme and a number of business and fintech award nominations. My focus is always on helping businesses grow, supporting the next generation of talent, and driving positive change within financial services.
Jake Atkinson
Director, Growth
Jake is Director of Growth at MQube, combining a background in data science, statistics, machine learning and operations research to drive business expansion and strategic initiatives. He also led sales and marketing at MPowered, helping propel the business into the UK’s fastest-growing mortgage lender and establishing it as the Home of the One Day Mortgage.
Darryl Barkwill
B2B Marketing Manager
Darryl Barkwill is B2B Marketing Manager at Smart Money People, the UK's most comprehensive financial review site, where he leads B2B marketing activity focused on driving growth and strengthening the company's position within the financial services sector.
With more than 14 years' experience in financial services, Darryl combines commercial insight with a strong marketing background. He began his career in mortgage customer services at Bank of Ireland before moving into mortgage sales and then marketing, where he's since gained experience across both B2B and B2C environments. He holds a CeMAP qualification alongside a degree in Marketing Management.
Rachel Eason-Whale
Head of Impact and Inclusion
Rachel Eason-Whale is a transformational leader in the financial services industry, recognised for her unwavering commitment to driving positive change and achieving exceptional outcomes. She has 15+ years of experience at the UK’s largest fee free mortgage and protection broker L&C and holds an Exec role for the Women in Protection Network.
Rachel’s remarkable journey includes establishing the Customer Care function at L&C in 2017, leading the Retention and Claims team, and becoming L&C’s Vulnerability Strategic Lead. Her current role as Head of Impact and Inclusion showcases her dedication to shaping a more equitable and inclusive industry. In this capacity, Rachel leads key initiatives in diversity, equity, inclusion, customer vulnerability, sustainability, wellbeing, and community impact.
Her outstanding contributions were celebrated in 2026 where she was recognised as a Mortgage Solutions ‘ChangeMaker’, L&G Mortgage club Diversity and Inclusion champion and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion champion of the year at the Cover Women in Protection and Health Awards.
As a trusted voice for customers, colleagues, and industry peers - her work bridges the gaps between business priorities and human impact. She continues to inspire others to champion positive outcomes and collaborate for a better future – one where everyone can truly thrive.
Maddie Gray
Senior Marketing Specialist
Phil Green
Marketing Director
Phil is Marketing Director at Pepper Money, responsible for the lender’s marketing strategy, brand, communications, PR, digital and customer experience. Over his career, he has built a reputation for combining strategic thinking, commercial focus and creative execution to deliver measurable business growth.
A passionate advocate for the mortgage industry, Phil is committed to helping raise standards, recognise excellence and support the development of future talent.
As a judge, he brings extensive experience of brand building, customer insight, marketing effectiveness and commercial leadership, together with a balanced perspective on what separates good work from genuinely outstanding work.
Vikki Harrison
Senior content creation
Vikki Harrison is a marketer and storyteller who believes the best marketing doesn't just grab attention, it changes the way people think, feel or act.
At Scottish Widows, she works across campaigns, content, thought leadership and industry initiatives, bringing together customer insight, research and creativity to make complex topics more engaging and accessible. With experience delivering large-scale campaigns, industry reports and audience engagement programmes, Vikki is passionate about creating marketing that has a genuine impact on both businesses and customers.
She is particularly interested in the power of storytelling to simplify complexity, challenge assumptions and spark meaningful conversations. Vikki is delighted to be joining this year's judging panel and celebrating the creativity, innovation and talent shaping the future of marketing across the mortgage, specialist lending and protection sectors.
Emily Hill
Junior PR Manager
Emily has 9 years' experience in PR, content marketing, and communications across B2B and B2C environments - most recently as Junior PR Manager at Mortgage Advice Bureau. She's passionate about creating thought-provoking content for a range of audiences and platforms, and executing high-impact PR campaigns that drive engagement and brand awareness.
Paul Hunt
Co-Founder/Owner
Paul has worked in marketing within the financial services and property sectors for over 30 years. Roles include Head of/Marketing Director at Platform (Co‑op intermediary lender), Lehman Brothers and Countrywide across B2B and B2C. Experience includes: relaunching Platform in 2003 following the Verso merger; setting up a bids team at Countrywide to win multi‑million £ valuation contracts with lenders; PR spokesperson; launching the largest PRS development in the North West of England; building a customer retention model for Countrywide’s financial services business.
Kim McGinley
Director
Kim McGinley is an entrepreneur, speaker and founder of award-winning specialist finance brokerage VIBE Finance. With more than 20 years’ experience in lending and specialist property finance, Kim has built her businesses from scratch and is passionate about raising standards, championing visibility and creating more opportunities for women across the property and finance industries.
Alongside VIBE Finance, Kim is the founder of Women Shaping Property and co-founder of the Specialist Finance Academy, supporting brokers through practical education, training and community. Known for her honest, straight-talking approach, Kim brings both industry experience and a strong understanding of what it takes to build trusted brands, meaningful communities and businesses that connect with people.
Haley McPherson
Group Marketing Director
Brand champion and marketing leader with over 18 years' experience across financial services, property finance, and technology. An innovative and commercially driven marketer with a passion for creating exceptional customer journeys, building purpose-led brands, and delivering measurable business results. Experienced in developing and executing strategic marketing initiatives that drive growth, strengthen brand reputation, and enhance customer engagement. Passionate about ESG, innovation, and using data-driven insights to create meaningful impact for customers and businesses alike.
Christine Morgan
Head of Communications
Christine has 30 year's marketing and communications experience targeting consumer and business audiences to drive awareness and support commercial objectives. At Together Christine is responsible for Marketing Communications to support individual Sales Channels as well as PR, Social Media and Content.
Prior to working in Financial Services, Christie held senior marketing roles in the retail sector including Debenhams, The Very Group and UNIQLO. Her career has also seen her work agency-side on a range of FMCG, travel and beauty brands.
Giorgia Paganuzzi
Head of Marketing, Real Estate
Giorgia Paganuzzi is Head of Marketing, Property at Shawbrook Bank, responsible for marketing strategy and delivery across Shawbrook’s Real Estate and Development Finance businesses, as well as The Mortgage Lender and Bluestone Mortgages. Having joined Shawbrook as a Marketing Executive, she has progressed to lead property finance marketing during her decade with the Bank.
Giorgia has extensive experience in financial services and intermediary marketing, with a particular focus on brand positioning, proposition development, broker engagement and integrated campaign delivery, supporting clear commercial outcomes and sustainable growth.
Wendy Quantrilll
Marketing Manager, Mortgages
With over thirty years of experience in PR and marketing, Wendy has extensive experience of mortgage marketing in both the mutual sector, and at noughties disruptor Egg Plc. She’s worked on brands which include Britvic, B&Q, Mazda, and Fuller Smith and Turner, and acted as the Head of Communications and Marketing at a facilities management group with a £70m turnover.
Since taking on the role as Marketing Manager, Mortgages at Suffolk Building Society, Wendy has developed a robust brand proposition which includes a distinct intermediary tone of voice. This helped the Society scoop the Best Mortgage Marketing Award at the 2025 MIMAs, where Wendy was also a finalist for Best Marketer. Wendy has contributed to the mortgage industry’s community and inclusion endeavours. In 2026 she joined the ten-strong, all-male Mortgage 400 team, cycling 96 miles from Peterborough to London, raising £30,000 for charity.
Andrew Roberts
Head of Marketing
Andrew is Head of Marketing at Stonebridge, with over a decades experience in intermediated financial services marketing. He has worked both provider and network side and is passionate about clear, customer-focused communications and measurable results,
As a returning judge for the Marketing Industry Marketing Awards, Andrew is looking forward to celebrating creativity, innovation, and excellence across the sector.
Charlotte Rutter
Head of Partnerships & Marketing
Charlotte is a multi‑award‑winning marketer and partnerships professional with a deep commitment to elevating education and insight within the property finance sector. With nearly a decade of experience in specialist finance, she brings a wealth of industry knowledge and strategic expertise.
Level 7 CIM qualified, Charlotte has spent over 20 years shaping marketing and communications across a range of industries. Her passion for finance, particularly the specialist lending market, stems from its ability to create meaningful outcomes for borrowers who need tailored solutions.
Charlotte is dedicated to building strong, positive partnerships and fostering an ecosystem of support that empowers both intermediaries and customers. She thrives in the dynamic, fast‑moving specialist lending environment, championing collaboration and helping partners maximise opportunities for sustainable growth.
Lisa Stones
Operations Director
Lisa Stones is the Operations Director at Mortgage 1st, where she has spent the past 11 years helping to grow the business alongside her husband from a small family brokerage into a thriving organisation with of team of 85.
With a degree in Marketing and a background in both retail management and wedding planning, Lisa combines commercial insight with strong leadership, bringing care, passion and creativity to everything she does. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the business while helping to shape its culture, customer experience and long-term strategy.
Lisa is passionate about creating an environment where people can thrive, always striving to deliver the very best outcomes for both her team and clients alike.