2025 Judges
Nick Asik
Creative Director & Copywriter
Over the past 20 years, Nick has become one of the country’s most awarded creative directors and copywriters, lending his creativity to brands like Coca-Cola, Google, Audi, Corona, Heineken, Honda, Nintendo and Harley-Davidson.
Nick's work has been awarded over 300 times at shows including the D&ADs, The One Show, CLIO Awards, The Webby Awards and Communication Arts. He’s been published 12 times in Leurzer’s Archive Magazine, and has been named one of Strategy Magazine’s top 10 copywriters on multiple occasions. Strangely, his work has even found its way onto Vince Vaughn’s walls and into Gene Simmons’ personal collection of KISS memorabilia.
Nick’s career has spanned the continent, working for agencies in Toronto, Calgary, Los Angeles and New York. Nick is a frequent speaker at ad schools across the country, helping to inspire the next generation of creative talent.
Teresa Chan
Art Director
Teresa is an Art Director at Vessi with a decade of experience in graphic design and marketing strategy. She currently leads the graphics department and drives campaign conception and production execution. She oversees the design direction for all campaigns, events, and retail stores — including four store openings and the brand's expansion into wholesale. She played a key role in the company’s recent rebrand, driving the design rollout across all digital, print, and packaging touch-points.
Drawing on her extensive experience in fashion D2C companies, she brings a sharp eye for scaling rapidly growing brands, helping them expand their presence and strengthen their creative impact. With a design degree from the Fashion Communications program at TMU in Toronto and a family background in garment manufacturing, she brings a deep-rooted passion for fashion, business, and impactful storytelling. Known for her solution-oriented approach, she excels at applying marketing strategy to creative execution, ensuring all customer-facing visuals are both compelling and strategically aligned.
Beyond her professional expertise, she’s a lover of art, music, and all things Sanrio (Hello Kitty in particular). A big foodie at heart, she’s always on the lookout for new culinary experiences.
Loretta Lau
Group Creative Director
Loretta Lau is a Group Creative Director at Rethink, where she has spent the past several years working on numerous projects.
Her career spans over a decade in the industry, with previous roles at agencies such as DDB, and Sid Lee.
She has held senior positions in both art direction and creative leadership, contributing to campaigns across multiple sectors. With experience in both team-based and leadership roles, Loretta brings a strong foundation in visual storytelling and brand development.
Dean Lee
Executive Creative Director
In April of 2022, Dean Lee joined Zulu Alpha Kilo as an Executive Creative Director to help lead the Vancouver office. During his career, he has helped create effective marketing solutions for many brands including McDonald’s, Pepsi Co, SunRype, Labatt, Destination Canada, Destination BC, BC Lottery Corporation, Subaru, BCAA, BC Hydro, TELUS, Pacific Blue Cross, BC Dairy, and helped launch Netflix in Canada. Historically, Dean has been ranked as one of Canada’s leading creatives according to Strategy Magazine, including top honours for art direction. His work has been recognized at national and international advertising shows including Cannes, The One Show, Communication Arts, The Clios, D&AD, and London International Awards.
Beyond his day job, Dean also co-chairs The James Lee Foundation which provides scholarships to help aspiring creative talent break into the advertising world.
Ryan Leeson
Creative Director & Writer
Ryan is an internationally awarded Creative Director and Writer whose work has been celebrated by The One Show, Communication Arts, Cannes Lions, The Webby Awards and his favourite show, the long dead BC Lotus Awards. He spent his first decade in the ad industry as a full-timer at agencies DDB, Blast Radius, Y&R and a few others that were also swallowed up by holding companies or simply no longer exist. (Ryan swears this is just a coincidence) Finding his sweet spot as a freelancer for both agencies and brands across Canada and the US, his ideas have made audiences think or laugh for Nike, adidas, Starbucks, lululemon, Nintendo, Destination Canada, Milk and many more.
Andrew Passas
Creative Director & Designer
Over the past decade, Andrew Passas has helped shape some of Canada’s most recognizable brands through his work as a creative director and designer. From lululemon to Vessi, his leadership has brought thoughtful, culture-driven storytelling to life across multiple platforms.
With experience at top agencies like john st. and 123w, Andrew has contributed to a wide range of projects across branding, advertising and design. He has built and led teams, steered creative direction, and brought a distinct, elevated voice to everything from retail to lifestyle.
Currently, Andrew leads Creative Direction and Culture Marketing at Vessi, where he’s helping grow one of Canada’s fastest rising footwear brands. Based in Vancouver, Andrew’s creative work reflects skill that’s rooted in craft, collaboration and a sharp eye.