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Meet the judges
88 / ONBOARD HOSPITALITY AWARDS 2022
Recognising EXCELLENCE
As the green shoots of recovery begin to appear, we are delighted to showcase over 100 entries in the Onboard Hospitality Awards 2022. Each entry helps highlight our industry's commitment to excellence, innovation and creativity no matter how tough times have been for onboard hospitality buyers and suppliers.
Driving recovery
With some new expertise, direct from airlines, joining our international judging panel, Onboard Hospitality is pleased to unveil our finalists here, chosen by combining the judges' opinions and the results of our readers' online vote. Judges have been asked to identify a category winner, and highly commended in each category for announcement in June. All Ones to Watch, Cabin Concept and Industry Champions entries will also be fully assessed by the panel.
Peer to peer recognition
All entries were viewed online by our international readership. We believe the online voting allows for informed peer-to-peer recognition. Those eligible to vote are our readers – the buyers and suppliers of onboard hospitality – the people we believe
PANEL OF JUDGES...
SUE WAPLE GUSTAF ÖHOLM
Now an independent consultant, Sue has 22 years crew experience and four years in the BA supply chain team. She understands what works best at all levels.
Currently head of onboard product & services at SAS with 20+ years in airlines and hospitality, design and product development. Also a former Relais & Chateaux hotel owner & trained chef.
BEN FANCONI
With 20 years experience at SWISS and Lufthansa Group product department, Benedict has worked across all classes and still flies occasionally as an active Maître de Cabine. KAREN MACKENZIE
Karen has over 30 years airline experience, the last seven as BA's head of inflight global supply chain. She has led many product and cabin launches and is a passionate sustainability advocate. BEV FEARIS
Bev is editor of The Business Travel Magazine. She is a well travelled journalist with more than 25 years experience of the travel sector, and now a specialising in business travel.
DAVID WHELAN
David is a senior analyst at Valour Consultancy and specialises in inflight entertainment and connectivity, and aircraft digitalisation which includes both cockpit and cabin solutions. GEORGE BANKS
Formerly catering manager with Emirates, George had 33 years with British Caledonian and BA and is author of Gourmet and Glamour in the Sky, a history of onboard catering.
MARC WARDE
A restaurateur and culinary consultant, Marc runs glutenfree restaurants, the Niche Free-From Kitchen and owns a special meals manufacturing business Libero. SIMON SONI
Simon has worked in the onboard industry for over 25 years at some of the world’s leading airlines. Currently with Westjet and previously at Qatar Airways as it introduced the QSuites.
SHELLEY DAUNCEY
Following 15 years flying as crew for British Airways Shelley has extensive front line experience of inflight service and a clear understanding of what passengers and crew want.
Learn more
are best placed to recognise a good product or service, or a true innovation. These are the people – you and your industry colleagues – who really are in the know, industry insiders with expertise in the field. Our thanks go to all those who voted and helped make these awards the most authentic and accountable in the business.
Expert assessment
Having the final say on who wins what will be our judges, a panel of distinguished experts with many years' experience in the industry. This powerful knowledge bank, shown below, is made up of industry stalwarts and travel professionals with a wealth of expertise when it comes to the user experience and operational practicalities. We thank them for their on-going support for the awards and their dedication to the difficult task of identifying the best.
ONBOARD HOSPITALITY AWARDS 2022 / 89
The winners Judging criteria
Innovation / first Winners will be announced impressions /quality / at a live ceremony within the durability / life span/ weight World Travel Catering Expo / usefulness / design/ (WTCE), Hamburg on Tuesday functionailty / taste / June 14 at the Taste of Travel content / customer Theatre, and online for those experience unable to attend. Winners will be showcased in the next issue of Onboard Hospitality and online.
Onboard Hospitality editor, Julie Baxter, says: "It was a great pleasure to be able to host the judging panel in person again this year and we look forward to celebrating with our winners face to face in Hamburg. It has been a challenging time for our industry but these awards give us a snapshot of the great work going on to support the recovery, and show our industry's unerring commitment to innovation and excellence, essential in the drive to build back better." •
HAPPY K
Keerthi Hapugasdeniya is a high-profile, international celebrity chef who works with a range of catering service providers to the airline industry. Founder and ceo of APOT Asia.
RYAN GHEE
Ryan spends every day studying aviation tech as editor at Future Travel Experience (FTE), head of strategy for FTE's global technology conferences, and manager of the FTE Innovation & Startup Hub. LANCE HAYWARD
MD and founder of The Hayward Partnership, Lance has over 30 years' industry experience and provides management consultancy and interim services to the travel catering and retail sector.
SANDRA PINEAUBODDISON
Sandra is a senior consultant at The Hayward Partnership and has over 25 years of experience in the airline industry, most recently as senior vp customers United.
