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Our 2026 MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club Award Judges

The MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club Award celebrates exceptional female agency leaders within independent agencies.

This award aims to recognise outstanding leadership qualities, innovation, creativity, and growth demonstrated by female leaders in driving business success within their agency.

While the focus is on leadership excellence, entries may also include impactful campaigns or initiatives, particularly those that prioritise female-centric issues in external-facing campaigns.

Nominate a female Leader Here!

Eligibility

The MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club Award celebrates exceptional female agency leaders within independent agencies.

– Independent Agencies or Female Leaders from independent agencies are eligible for nomination.

– Nominees should showcase exemplary leadership qualities and initiatives that have contributed to the success and growth of their agency.

– Nominations should highlight success stories emphasising leadership impact, innovation, creativity, and growth.

Meet the Female Leaders Award Judging Panel

Alex Gerrity – Global Head of Comms | Ben & Jerry’s

Chair | MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club
Juliet is Founder and CEO of Stripe Communications a PR, social, influencer & content agency with offices in Edinburgh and London. At Stripe Juliet is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the business, exploring growth opportunities and providing high-level strategic senior counsel to clients. Over her 30-year career Juliet has worked both in house and in consultancy for some of the world’s leading brands in the UK, Australia, and Canada. Prior to starting Stripe, she was Head of PR, Corporate Communications and mass market campaigns for Vodafone and she also started up and ran the Edinburgh office of global PR consultancy Citigate SMARTS. She is a Fellow of the Marketing Society, a member of WACL Exec and sits on the Heriot-Watt International Business School Board.

Juliet Simpson – Founder & CEO, Stripe Communications

MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club
Rachel Roberts is Managing Director of ZEAL. As the agency’s first ever employee, Rachel has played a defining role in shaping its evolution, culture and commercial success. With more than 20 years’ experience leading some of the world’s fastest-moving FMCG brands, she brings deep category knowledge and a strong commercial lens to the agency. Rachel has been instrumental in driving ZEAL’s client growth across food, drink, and health and wellness categories. She has played a central role in delivering 30% YoY growth for the business over the past five years, leading senior client relationships and new business partnerships with cornerstone brands including Nestlé, Carlsberg Britvic, Kellanova, Arla and Essity. Under her leadership, ZEAL has evolved from its promotional roots into a modern creative commerce agency, bridging brand strategy with real-world retail effectiveness. Known for her collaborative and fast-paced leadership style, Rachel leads with empathy, clarity and a relentless focus on outcomes, bringing teams and clients along at speed. A vocal advocate for female leadership, Rachel regularly speaks on the future of agency models, the rise of retail media, and the next era of brand activation that connects culture with commerce.

Rachel Roberts – Managing Director | ZEAL

MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club

Yewande Ogunkoya – Managing Partner | Craft Media

MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club

Louisa Fyans – Chief Brand and Communications Officer | Age UK

MAD//Fest Female Leaders Club
Nominate a female Leader Here!
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