Judges

Charles Aylwin is a leader with 30+ years’ service in the IT, Communications and Technology sectors. He has held a variety of operational and commercial leadership roles across different sectors. Way back when, he built critical network infrastructure for the UK Public Sector and the Mobile Operators, before becoming the Commercial Director at the UK Hosted Voice pioneer, Voicenet Solutions. After their acquisition by 8x8, he was Head of Channel for 8x8 in Europe. Most recently, Charles was Managing Director for the IT & Cyber portfolio for the Cloud Service Provider, Babble Cloud, having previously served as Sales Director, and MD of the Comms business.

Kate Brunning, Founder and CEO of People Station, provides on-demand People Director expertise, working with some of the fastest-growing companies to address complex people challenges. With over 10 years of experience in the tech sector, including her role as People Director at Virtual1, Kate and her team of experts specialise in supporting businesses through pivotal stages such as scaling, acquisition, exit, and periods of rapid growth. They help organisations create high-performance cultures, attract top talent, and increase performance and productivity. For companies aiming to scale and thrive, People Station offers a unique, proven HR model that delivers strategic, measurable impact.

Louise is a Channel GTM specialist with over 20 years of experience in designing, building, and improving global Channel Programs at leading companies in the Telecoms, IT and Cybersecurity industries. From launching new Programs to redesigning and evolving existing Programs, Louise excels in streamlining processes, enhancing partner enablement, and driving revenue growth. Currently running her own consultancy, Loucerna, Louise provides expert guidance to organisations seeking to build or refine their Channel Programs for sustained success.

Lauren McManus, Managing Director of Electric Bloom Marketing, is a specialist telecoms and IT marketer with over fourteen years of experience working within the channel. She has advised a number of organisations on marketing strategy, including channel wholesalers, cyber security and mobile distribution firms. Lauren has led marketing teams to awards success, winning over 20 awards for companies throughout her career, and has been featured on the CRN Women in Channel A-list as a prominent female leader within the industry.

Julie's 25 years of industry experience give her a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the UK comms channel. She is currently CEO of Support to Win & Train to Win and has held senior sales and service management roles at large carrier and reseller companies. A go-to expert on comms industry skills and operational excellence, Julie remains passionate about responding to the rapidly evolving needs of channel players through innovative managed services and strategic personal development. She regularly consults with UK channel leaders to strengthening culture and skills, and foster sustainable, profitable technical operations.