Meet the judges of the IAS Agency Credentials Award

Expert judging panel will decide which agencies truly know how to tell their story.

Issued by DMASA

1 Aug 2025

The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) has unveiled the judging panel for the 2025 IAS Agency Credentials Award – a lineup of marketing expertise spanning three continents.

This isn't typical industry back-slapping. The credentials will be scrutinised by the very people agencies need to impress: a panel of marketing judges (whose identities remain confidential to ensure unbiased evaluation), alongside seasoned IAS and international judges who aren't easily fooled by flashy decks that lack substance. The inclusion of local marketers is key as it offers a direct opportunity for agencies to get their credentials in front of marketing decision-makers who may otherwise never see their work.

The IAS and international judges who'll separate substance from spin

Cesar Vacchiano, president and CEO of Scopen International, brings global perspective from one of the industry's most trusted research consultancies. Having built Scopen's presence across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, he’s a go-to authority on what makes agencies tick – and what makes marketers choose them. As the only non-marketer on the Spanish Advertisers Association's Directors Council, he understands both agency ambition and client reality with rare clarity.

Tina Fegent, global marketing procurement consultant, completes the panel. She has over 30 years of expertise in marketing procurement and, since founding her consultancy in 2006, she has helped brands unlock greater value from their marketing spend while fostering better client-agency relationships – ideal for judging credentials that need to deliver both commercially and creatively.

Johanna McDowell, founder and CEO of IAS, has navigated both sides of the client-agency divide since the 1970s. Since launching IAS in 2006, she has orchestrated countless agency selections, witnessing firsthand what makes credentials compelling. Her take? "Credentials should tell the full story of your agency – not just what you've achieved, but who you are."

Nikki Munsie, business director at IAS, has 25 years of experience in marketing and advertising, including 13 years in consultancy specialising in business and brand strategies. She can spot authentic agency culture from a mile away and knows when credentials reflect genuine DNA versus wishful thinking.

Tebatso Masete, project director at IAS, brings a contemporary lens. With a postgraduate diploma in business management and a sharp focus on process optimisation and relationship management, Masete understands how modern marketers assess agencies and what they're looking for beyond the obvious choices.

Why this matters

The IAS Agency Credentials Award, relaunched in 2020 and now part of the Assegai Awards, has become the industry's benchmark for credentials that work. The award evaluates both written credentials and agency culture presentations, recognising that today's marketers aren't just buying your work – they're buying you.

Don't treat this as an afterthought. As McDowell puts it: "Credentials are there to speak for the agency when it is not there to speak for itself."

The clock is ticking

In a strong show of support, IAS is sponsoring the first 10 entries submitted for 2025 – part of its celebration of a decade-long partnership with DMASA. This is a bold call to agencies to step up and get noticed by marketing leaders who make key brand decisions.

Entries close 29 August. In a marketplace where sameness is the enemy, make sure your credentials count.

The Direct Marketing Association of Southern Africa (DMASA) is a Section 21 company dedicated to the protection and development of the Interactive and Direct Marketing (IDM) industry. It established itself as an independent body in November 2005.