GABS Festival

meet our judges!

Andrew Morwood

Customer Enhancement & Graphics Manager

Heading up the graphics studio at Orora Group – the country’s leading manufacturer of aluminium cans for the craft beer industry – Andrew plays a key role in supporting craft breweries to get the best from their label designs. 
With an intricate knowledge of printing and design techniques, Andrew works closely with in-house designers, agencies and freelancers to ensure the brewery’s creative vision is brought to life in the best possible way on the 360° aluminium canvas. 
When he’s not busy navigating can designs, you’ll find Andrew enjoying a craft beer or two (he’s partial to a Hawkers XPA or Brick Lane Supernova) while watching a bit of footy.

Vanessa Tucker

Creative Director

With over 20 years in Marketing, Advertising, and Design across Sydney, London, and South Africa, Vanessa brings a wealth of expertise and creativity. Specializing in sports, tech, and entertainment, Vanessa excels in connecting brands to customers, fostering loyalty through their passions. As a Creative Director, Strategist, and Design Expert, she transforms brands by making people matter to them.
 
Vanessa has driven growth for start-ups and led Creative departments at McCann Worldgroup and M&C Saatchi Group, focusing on impactful branding and team potential. She has led global campaigns for brands such as adidas, AB InBev, SAP, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, L’Oréal, American Express, CommBank, and Woolworths.

An expert in the alcoholic beverage sector, Vanessa has created campaigns for Stella Artois, Corona, Budweiser, Hendricks, The Balvenie, and Monkey Shoulder. Dedicated to mentoring, she also serves as an award winner and judge, plus she prefers an IPA and wheat beer over a lager if she were pushed to choose.

Portfolio

Iggy Rodriguez

Executive Creative Director

Iggy is a firm believer in the power that a single, great idea has to evoke an emotional connection in people. This sets the benchmark for everything he does, using creativity to bring about a positive change in the world.

If you’ve ever watched Mad Men, you can think of him as the Don Draper or sometimes even the Peggy character depending on the project. Yep, he’s coined many a corny advertising slogan but doesn’t do jingles. 

To escape the world of creative briefs and deadlines, Iggy likes the soothing ocean water and goes surfing or sailing in Manly. 

He embraces his Argentinian heritage and loves cooking a big parrilla barbecue, wood fired pizzas or smoking meats, which of course can’t be done without a cold, tasty beer in hand. 

Pale Ales are usually his jam, but he’s also quite partial to a fruity sour, or a Watermelon Pilsner.

Alison Bathurst-Thorburn

founder + creative director – dept of June

A designer and creative director with a passion for conceptual branding and typography. Alison honed her skills creating advertising campaigns for global lifestyle accounts such as; Dove, J&J & Rimmel as well as solving creative briefs for local clients. 
 
She has now started her own creative studio where she loves to partner with clients directly to help them elevate their brand. She specialises in blending aesthetic appeal with strategic thinking to create unique and memorable brand personalities. You can see her work at deptofjune.co
 
Lucky enough to live all around the world, Alison has now happily settled in beautiful Sydney, Australia with her family. Outside of client work, her time is filled with painting, yoga, snowboarding, beach, gallery exploring & vintage hunting. She loves a crisp refreshing Wolf of the Willows Hazy PA in a beer garden on a summer’s day and is so excited to be a judge for these awards!

Roxanne Silverwood

Creative Design + Direction

Roxanne is an award-winning Art Director, Designer, and Creative Lead from South Africa, now based in London, UK.

With over 18 years of experience in the visual communications industry, she leads projects across diverse creative fields such as live shows, events, art installations, and immersive experiences. She has worked with brands such as the BBC, Disney, The British Museum, Coca-Cola, and has even had her work projected onto Windsor Castle in the UK for the Kings Coronation Concert in 2023.


Her passion for design extends beyond her professional work; she cannot walk past a craft beer shop in London without popping in to check out the beer packaging – it is an industry that encourages and inspires such creativity and freedom in design. Plus the beer goes down rather well too.

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