SHORTLIST 2022

Advocate of the Year

An individual working with tech who is a role model and has gone out of her way to support the cause of getting more women in IT with a proven track record in advancing career opportunities for women for 2 or more years. As well as examining the women in IT initiatives the candidates have pioneered to inspire women to succeed in technology, judges will also assess their leadership, evidence of growth and the initiative’s impact on, and integration with, the business specifically.  

Akua Opong, London Stock Exchange Group

Antonia Forster, Unity 

Bingqian Gao, Aktana

Helen Needham, Capco

Kirsteen King, News UK

Nisha Notani, Amazon 

Polly Moore, Xiatech
 

Priyanka Gangishetty, Microsoft UK

Sahydi Garcia, Morgan Stanley

Yota Trom, Together in Tech 

Sponsored by: 

Ally of the Year

A senior figure who has gone out of their way to improve the diversity levels within IT, within the organisation and/or in the wider community. Successful nominations must provide case studies or examples of how the candidate has gone out of their way, or strategically prioritised, getting more diversity of talent into IT and/or supporting them in their careers. 

Aftab Taylor, JLL

Alison Williams, dunnhumby

Bev Markland, Agilitas 

Darren Miles, Centrica 

Kasia Fisher, Vodafone UK

Kim Lawrie, Engine Creative 

Suman Bala, EasyJet

Susie Coombs, Morgan Stanley

Webilor Ediale, Vodafone UK

 

CIO of the Year

A female Chief Information Officer or head of information technology (IT) who has demonstrated innovation and IT excellence. Judges will look at projects and achievements spanning the current organisation or others if applicable, within the last 2-years. Examples of best practice, leadership, ROI generated and alignment to business goals must be included.   

Daria Grishina, Danone UK & Ireland

Jo Graham, Boohoo.com 

Louise Bunting, Yondr Group

Natascha Polderman, Schillings International 

Sponsored by: 

CTO of the Year

A chief technology officer or technology director who has demonstrated positive impact on the company’s top line and driven new customer value through the innovative use of technology. Candidates will include examples of strong leadership and how they have employed a technology strategy to enhance product development and improve the service the company provides to customers. Judges will also assess how well ingrained the chief technology officer is in the business and how she has helped put technology at the heart of the business, driving strong commercial results in the process.   

Avril Chester, RIBA

Georgina Owens, Liberis

Hazel Olivier,  (Formerly) TradeCrediTech Ltd

Joana Paiva, intelligent Lab on Fiber Ltd (iLoF)

Niki Trigoni, Navenio

Sharon Moore, IBM

Data Leader of the Year  

A female IT, technology or business leader who has demonstrated successful results in data technology in the last 2 years. This could include demonstrations of successfully deploying data technologies; improving how a company uses or deals with data; delivering effective data strategies; enhancing decision-making with data; or furthering knowledge, awareness and education around data and related technologies. 

Bingqian Gao, Aktana

Candice Pressinger, Elavon Merchant Services

Charlotte Mansfield, Places for People 

Clare Halligan, Tata Consultancy Services 

Clare Mortimer, IBM UK Ltd

Helen Fell, Moorhouse Consulting

Melanie Liddy, Liberis 

Munira Khalifa, Barnardos

Neha Pandey, Direct Line Group

Sandra Stanley, dunnhumby

 

Sponsored by: 

DEI Recruit and Advancement Initiatives of the Year

This award will be presented to a project or initiative that has had demonstrable success in improving the recruitment, onboarding, development and/or progression of underrepresented talent. This may be a digital technology driven initiative or project that has also improved communication, engagement and support and removed a significant barrier to change affecting diverse talent.   

Raising Rebels Resoruce - Global Equality Collective

Aspire Project - mthree

iExcel Programme - Tata Consultancy Services

Digital Transformation Leader of the Year

A female chief digital officer, digital director or leader of a digital transformation who has led an IT/digital transformation or business change programme driven by technology in the last 2-years. Judges will look at examples of the technology and innovation involved; leadership; best practice; results and return on investment; alignment to business goals; and how culture shifts were managed. 

Angela Jenner, BT

Ash Finnegan, Conga

Jackie Hale, Vodafone UK

Kristine Long, IBM

Natalie Coaten, IBM

Pallavi Deshpande, Pearson PLC

Paula Abasolo, Global Tailor Ltd

Pooja Bagga, Royal Mail

Robyn Furby, NFU Mutual

Susie Day, NHS Digital

Diversity Lead of the Year

This award is open to the VP of Diversity, Chief Diversity Officer, Heads and Directors of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in the tech industry. This person has demonstrated success in addressing inequalities and improving outcomes, ensuring a culture where all employees can thrive. This nominee is a role model and innovative leader in actively supporting employees; has introduced organisational change that can be measured in terms of staff engagement, retention, satisfaction, and wellbeing. This person is a great influencer and inspires and motivates others to improve the business for all. 

Arusha Gupta, LTI

Chika Ripley, IBM UK

Emily Markey, Credera

Jennifer Stanzl, Tata Consultancy Services

Kim Lawrie, Engine Creative

Nicoleta Raportaru, IBM

Selina Tishler, Microsoft

Sharon Peters, Marks & Spencer (M&S)

Sue Gregory-Phillips, Centrica

Tolu Oke, Amazon Web Services

 

Sponsored by: 

Employer of the Year

This award is for a technology organisation that has demonstrated a great effort to attract and retain more diverse talent, or a company from any other industry that has demonstrated great efforts to attract and retain more diverse talent in its IT and/or digital department. Judges will look at efforts the employer has made to create a more diverse and inclusive working environment.   

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

IBM

Iterable

Snap Finger Click

whyaye

Entrepreneur of the Year  

A female leader of a technology, digital or e-commerce start-up that has demonstrated excellent growth in the last 2-years with a coherent and sustainable strategy in achieving it. Judges will look at demonstrations of growth (turnover, profit, employees etc.), standout achievements and customer testimonials.  

Anna Barsby, Tessiant Ltd

Daryn Edgar, LYTT

Emma Forward, Emma Forward Ltd

Emma Sinclair MBE, EnterpriseAlumni

Joana Paiva, intelligent Lab on Fiber Ltd (iLoF)

Liz Ashall-Payne, ORCHA

Maria Lema, Weaver Labs

Maureen Robson-Norman, whyaye

Poppy Gustafsson, Darktrace

Sarah Fatchett, 365 Response

 

Sponsored by: 

IT Team of the Year (led by a woman)  Private Sector

An IT team, led by a woman, that has delivered real value – with tangible business results – to a company. Judges will look at projects and achievements, along with examples of best practice, leadership, ROI generated and alignment to business goals.  

Christina Morris, Just Eat Takeaway

Grace McElwaine, Accenture

Jane Ellis, Jaguar Land Rover

Janine Cook, IBM

Kasia Fisher, Vodafone UK

Kay Davis, Lloyds Banking Group

Kirsten Walker, Marks & Spencer (M&S)

Kirstin Duffield, Morning Data

Lynne Mills, Microsoft

Uma Rijhwani, Tata Consultancy Services

IT Team of the Year (led by a woman)  Public Sector

An IT team, led by a woman, that has delivered real value – with tangible business results – to an organisation. Judges will look at projects and achievements, along with examples of best practice, leadership, ROI generated and alignment to business goals. This sector specific award focuses on professionals that work for public/Govt and public bodies, and/or professionals working in private companies where their entry/work is related to a public sector or mutual organisation.

Cheryl Jepson, Places for People Group

Faye Burrows, Environment Agency

Laura Kirby, NHS Digital 

Louise Fitzgerald, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Pooja Bagga, Royal Mail

Ritu Yadav, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Suzanne MacRae, Moorhouse Consulting

Robyn Furby, NFU Mutual

Deepti Misra, Tata Consultancy Services

Shabnam Nida Wazed, AGAM International 

Next Generation Leader of the Year

A woman under the age of 30, or who turns 30 in 2022, who has progressed rapidly though their career and demonstrated business value and innovation using technology. This could include demonstrations of successfully deploying technologies; improving how a company approaches technology; delivering effective IT or technology strategies; enhancing decision-making with technology; creating business value, efficiencies and cost savings, or improving services, through the use of technology; driving new innovation in the industry; or furthering knowledge, awareness and education around technology. Candidates must have a 2-year track record of work and contribution to the organisation. 

Gul Aydin, Codementum

Hannah Crompton, bp

Holly Jenkins, Waste Logics Software Limited

Jordan Pearson, Mission Labs

Priyadarshini Veeravalli, SHS Group

Rachel Tate, Direct Line Group

Shabnam Wazed, Agam International

Tanisha Sharma, News UK

Vibhusha Raval, GSK

Sponsored by:

Outstanding Contribution of the Year

 This category recognises the achievements over a long period of time which has made an important contribution to the general standing of the technology industry. This individual has dedicated a major part of their working life to helping and supporting others. Judges will be looking for evidence of multiple projects and how they have impacted women and young girls. 

Beata Mosio, Marks & Spencer (M&S)

Clare Sudbery, Made Tech Limited

Faye Burrows, Environment Agency

Helen Needham, Capco / Me.decoded

Isabel Straw, NHS and University College London

Jessica Figueras, Hither Strategy / UK Cyber Security Council

Nicole Mather, IBM

Prasastika Sarkar, Tata Consultancy Services

Princess Bernard, Accenture

Tejaswini Ingole, Tech Mahindra Ltd.

Sponsored by:

Outstanding Diversity Network of the Year

This award recognises an employee network that strives to ensure the views of its community are heard and acted on to change the system. This network has influence and inspires and motivates its stakeholders to improve the work environment and ways of working for its members. It must be able to demonstrate a change in a way or working, process, or outcomes for an impacted group.  

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Network - Credera

Black Network - Deloitte

Women's Network - NHS Digital

Minds Employee Network - Tata Consultancy Services

The Representation Team - Accenture

Women in Tech (WIT) Network - Unilever

WIT Network - Valcon

Sponsored by

Security Leader of the Year

A female CSO, CISO or any other senior IT security function (including cyber security and data management), within a UK organisation who has delivered outstanding work. Judges will assess the candidates’ innovative approaches to security and the impact of their policies, procedures and projects on the business. 

Candice Pressinger, Elavon Merchant Services

Julia Cox, Alert Logic

Kate Dadlani, Logicalis UKI

Michelle Rogerson, Places for People Group

Naina Bhattacharya, Danone

Alexis Alexander, Liberis

Social Mobility Project of the Year

This award will be presented to the individual or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to addressing social-economic inequalities. The award recognises projects/initiatives that encourage social mobility and sustainable community involvement from all backgrounds. 

Georgina Barnard, Dudley College / Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology

Lauren Kisser, Amazon 

Lauren Pak, Fjord (Part of Accenture)

Padmasini Dayananda, Cognizant 

 

Sustainable Tech Award of the Year

This award honours an organisation or company using technology to improve the lives of others and the world around us. It recognises corporate social responsibility, charity work or green and sustainability initiatives that are driven or implemented using pioneering digital techniques. Entries will be judged on their effectiveness, innovation and overall commitment to doing good. Entrants should reference how their technology links to the UN Sustainability Goals, and which SDGs in particular.

Akua Opong, London Stock Exchange Group

Amanda Brock, OpenUK

Veera Johnson, Circulor 

Sponsored by: 

Woman of the Year

A woman who has demonstrated the highest degree of IT excellence, innovation and leadership over the last 2 years, and shone a light on the great things women in IT can achieve. Candidates should have not only have demonstrated outstanding business- and/or technology-focused achievements, but also give examples on how they have actively sought to bring more diversity into the technology industry. 

Amanda Brock, OpenUK

Belinda Parmar OBE, The Empathy Business Limited

Emely Patra, Salesforce

Helen Potter, SABP NHS Foundation Trust

Kati Arndt, IBM UK Limited

Larissa Suzuki, Google Cloud

Lisa Slade, Accenture

Maureen Robson-Norman, whyaye

Poppy Gustafsson, Darktrace

Rachel Habergham, NHS Digital 

 

Sponsored by:

Frank Recruitment