Judges

A judging mainstay since the programme’s inception, Malcolm’s career has revolved around retail, and chiefly the home furnishing market, for the last 50 years.

He was the Buying Director and Director of Product for Furniture Village for many years, and prior to that, spent over 20 years with the Maple, Waring & Gillow group, in various roles from sales consultant to store management, making the move into buying in 1987 while managing the flagship international store on Tottenham Court Road, before becoming group Buying Director.

Malcolm now runs his own consultancy business – a progressive company, working with industry-leading home furnishing brands and high-quality suppliers in the UK, Europe, US, and Asia on product design, development, and concept realisation.

Having developed the awards alongside JFS for its 2015 relaunch under new ownership, Paul has coordinated the programme since, promoting it heavily through the event’s Principal Media partner, Furniture News magazine.

Paul joined the magazine – and the industry – in 2006, and soon went on to edit the UK domestic furniture industry’s flagship title. He is a well-known and respected figure in the trade, and works hard to deliver engaging content for the magazine’s readers and tangible results for its advertisers.

Paul also works closely with the International Alliance of Furnishing Publications (IAFP) and The Furniture Makers’ Company to help co-ordinate marketing and communications across the wider industry.

Andrew Goodacre has been the CEO of Bira since 2018 and is passionate about working with the high street and supporting small businesses.

Andrew has a strong background in retail and hospitality, and since taking up the role, has been integral in pushing forward independent retailers and showcasing their importance of them being at the very heart of every good high street throughout the UK and a vital part of life and the economy within local communities.

He started his career in hospitality, spending 25 years working in the retail divisions of national breweries and pub companies.

Andrew was also formerly a member of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) before becoming the CEO of the Residential Landlords Association in 2013.​

Brian was born in Harrogate in 1958.

His family moved to Kingham in the Cotswolds, (before it became fashionable), when he was six. His parents had a village garage and taxi business. Running their own small business meant very few family holidays, but this did not matter to Brian as he had cars and motorbikes to play with. 

Following an early career in the electrical wholesaling industry, a fortuitous set of circumstances presented an opportunity to join a cabinet furniture manufacturer in Oxfordshire. He spent 18 years with the company, 10 as managing director, before leaving when the company was sold in 2013.

He has been on the board of the British Furniture Association (BFM) since 2004, serving as a director, vice chairman, and chairman during his tenure.

He is currently chair of the Furniture Industry Research Association and a member of the board of the British Furniture Confederation.

He joined The Furniture Makers’ Company in 2003, became a liveryman in 2006, and has served on the Court since 2013.

Brian has been married to Annette since 1985. They have two children and have lived in Oxford since 1998. A self-confessed petrolhead and motor racing enthusiast, he and his son attend the Le Mans 24 hours every year – this year will be his 29th. He also plays a bad game of golf and is determined to improve, but is unlikely to have time in the next year. 

Debbie joined The Furniture Makers’ Company in 2011, became a liveryman in 2013, and has served on the Court – the Company’s board – since 2016.

Debbie’s early career included nursing and working in retail, followed by a career at the Post Office in marketing and business administration. She later thrived in print publishing, especially with Cambridge Newspapers Group, before running an independent contract publishing company. Her career included publishing the weekly furniture trade magazine Cabinet Maker magazine until 2018.

Post-retirement, Debbie has worked with the City Livery Club and is a trustee for the Andrew Johnson Rowing Foundation. In her spare time, she obtained an Association of Master Upholsters & Soft Furnishers diploma with distinctions in Soft Furnishings and stage one diploma with distinction in Upholstery. She continues to find time to indulge her love of restoring old chairs and working with textiles.

Deirdre Mc Gettrick is the founder of the UK's #1 furniture search and discovery platform ufurnish.com. Bringing together 2m+ products from 100+ furniture retailers all on one website. ufurnish.com saves time, money, and eliminates the fear of missing out on undiscovered items. Clicking out, the consumer buys directly from the retailer.

The Leekes home department store business is part of Leekes Retail and Leisure Group, and the retail operation was established over 125 years ago by Emma’s great grandfather. During her time with the business, Emma has overseen its expansion into the West Midlands through the acquisition of the Coles of Bilston group and of Park Furnishers into Bristol. In November 2024, Leekes opened its newest store, in Cheltenham taking its portfolio to seven. The group employs over 650 people and boasts a total turnover of close to £90m.

Emma sits on several national buying groups, including Fortis and CIH, as well as being a board member of Minerva Furniture and the BFA, where she represents the interests of retailers. In recent times, Emma has contributed as a panellist to a Government initiative looking at future strategy for the retail industry.

Nicola Snell is the founder of Press Loft, the world’s leading PR platform for interiors, furniture, fashion, and lifestyle brands, used by over 1,200 companies worldwide to secure editorial coverage and reach journalists in 105+ countries. Over nearly two decades, she has helped brands transform their product visibility, generating over 3 million media downloads, and brings deep expertise in marketing, PR, and product storytelling to the judging panel.

With over 20 years in the home sector, Gisela is an experienced retail buyer who began her career at Makro and advanced to Buyer and Senior Buyer roles at N Brown Group, where she successfully quadrupled the furniture category and developed key product and sourcing strategies.

Currently, Gisela is focused on redefining Sofology’s design identity and enhancing customer experience, leading to a 120-point improvement in ratings post-COVID. Her global travels have helped her build strong supplier relationships, ensuring the brand delivers top-quality products. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring interiors, shopping, and traveling for fresh trends and inspiration.

Joanna has over 30 years of experience in the furniture industry working within marketing, sales, and sustainability roles. In 2001, Joanna was a founder director of a company which led the field in the environmental and lifecycle management of furniture, and now works as an independent sustainability consultant.

She is co-founder of the Sustainable Design Collective and serves as the Sustainability and Circular Economy Manager for Women in Office Design (WOD). She holds several prominent roles in industry organisations, including Non-executive Director at the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) and member of the Advisory Committee for the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP). Additionally, Joanna is the Chair of both the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee and the Communications Committee at The Furniture Makers' Company. In 2025, Joanna was appointed a Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and a Chartered Environmentalist. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Sarah Bianchi is CEO of Arighi Bianchi, one of the UK’s most iconic family-run furniture retailers. As the fourth-generation leader of this 170-year-old business, Sarah is redefining leadership in a traditionally male-dominated industry - driving innovation, sustainability, digital transformation, and groundbreaking retail initiatives while staying true to its heritage. A passionate advocate for diversity, she is committed to empowering women in leadership and shaping the future of the furniture industry.

Diana Celella is an international award-winning designer and Director of The Drawing Room Interiors. She is Past President of the Society of British and International Design (SBID), Past Chairman of the Healthcare Design Panel (HDAC), and a board member of Commercial Interiors UK (CIUK).

Her distinguished career spans both high-end residential and commercial interiors, including running a successful retail interior design studio from 1989 to 2017. Today, her work is dedicated to care homes and retirement living, where she is recognised throughout the industry as a leading authority on evidence-based design.

Passionate about sharing her expertise, she is a University Lecturer for MA Interior Design and a member of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID). In 2016, she was named West Midlands Woman of the Year for her outstanding contributions to Design Education.