Judging Panel Announced for the Network Group Awards 2023

Our two independent panels will be scrutinising entries from the other side of the fence – Members judging Partners, and Partners judging Members – and scoring them against the criteria to see who they think is deserving of a coveted Network Group Award.

Meet our Member Panel

Richard Alford
Former Director of Black Bear IT Solution & NG Exec Member
Richard ran Black Bear IT Solutions for over 12 years, taking it from a start up MSP to a successful business which he sold in 2023. He was also a member of the NG Exec for 4 years, shaping the new events structure and driving NG to greater successes. Since leaving the IT Industry Richard has moved on to frontline Ambulance.

Ron Weatherup
Director, Lugo IT  
Ron studied Accounting & Finance at university. In his final year at Edinburgh he developed a real interest in computers and, after completing his degree, went on to study computing further, achieving two Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) qualifications.
In 2003, he formed Lugo (then ScotICT). His ambition was set, and they have been growing and helping all sorts of businesses since then.
Ron lives in Linlithgow in West Lothian and has three children with his wife Ciara.

Tina Verney
Managing Director, TMB Group  
Tina is MD of The TMB Group, she guides and leads the business forward in these challenging times. TMB Group works with organisations of all sizes, providing them with reliable, modern IT solutions and first-rate technical support. As a managed services provider, they offer proactive support, security and disaster recovery, ensuring your mission-critical technology is always there when you need it.

Patrick Louis-Jean
Technical Manager, Holistic IT  
Patrick has spent the past 20 years in IT honing his skills and accreditations. He oversees the technical direction of Holistic IT and its Services, managing and guiding the technical team and working directly with clients on their overall IT Strategy. Outside of work, Patrick enjoys cooking, good food, music and films, travelling and spending time with his family.

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Meet our Partner Panel

Jenny Austin
Director, Channel & Field Marketing, EMEA – OpenText

Jenny Austin is a marketing professional, with 20 years of experience working in field and channel marketing both in Global and EMEA roles. She has spent her career working in the technology sector, for some large enterprise organizations, including Cisco, VMware and OpenText along with some smaller vendors. Jenny has extensive field and channel marketing experience, leading teams, running successful partner campaigns and events and a proven track record of generating pipeline and revenue. Jenny holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University.

Ben Spector
Product Manager & Head of Solutions, Zomentum
An ex-MSP owner turned Product Manager & Head of Solutions for Zomentum, the leading Revenue Platform for Channel Partners. Ben leverages his previous experience running a managed service provider (MSP) organization to shape Zomentum's development roadmap and design holistic revenue processes for partners. He’s actively involved in finding creative ways to enable MSPs to increase revenue, both from new opportunities and from existing clients.

Jason Kemsley
Director, Uptime Solutions
With12 years already in the channel, Jason is a Director at Uptime Solutions, an industry leading outsourced provider highly regarded by many. Recognised as the Comptia Future Leader of the Year and currently holding active Committee positions with CompTIA, Jason is regarded as an expert in his field who is keen to give back any learnings to whoever may need it. Some won’t know but in his spare time Jason loves flying and can be found in a PA28 (if you know what that is). Some more achievements include over 50+ speaking engagements of varying audiences whilst also helping over 500+ MSPs around the world.

Rebecca Benzie
Head of SMB Sales, Ingram Micro
Rebecca Benzie is an accomplished leader with more than 25 years of experience in sales, management and philanthropy. She has spent the last 29 years at Ingram Micro, a global technology company, where she currently serves as the Head of SMB Sales.  In her current role, Rebecca manages a team of 32 associates and over 800 customers, working to drive sales and build strong relationships with clients.

She is also highly committed to giving back to the community, serving as the Head of Charity for Ingram Micro and leading various volunteer initiatives.  Under her leadership, the team has donated £100,000+ to local charities, making a significant impact in the community. Additionally, Rebecca spearheaded the creation of Volunteer Days at Ingram Micro in 2022; since then62 associates have donated 390 hours of their time to local projects.