During the event in Glasgow’s Radisson Blu Hotel, four out of ten winners working in cyber security roles were recognised in the Inspirational Woman of the Year, Mentor of the Year, Career Changer of the Year and Unsung Hero categories.
Chelsea Jarvie, Chief Information Security Officer at MDU was recognised within the Inspirational Woman of the Year category at the awards and was cheered on by almost 400 guests during the ceremony as she took to the stage. Judges commended Jarvie on her “high level of achievement at a very young age”.
Other awards to cyber security specialists included Omowumi Akintokun, a Senior Cyber Security Specialist, who was named Mentor of the Year during the ceremony and was recognised for being a “trailblazer for women in cyber security” where her “mentorship has clearly had a successful impact on the careers of others”.
Shalu Madan, Cyber Security Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group was also named as the winner of the Career Changer of the Year category at tonight’s ceremony and was acknowledged as her career transformation “has had a profound impact through her outreach and mentoring activities.”
In the brand-new Unsung Hero Award category, Reshmi McIntosh, Digitally Safe & Secure Product Owner at Lloyds Banking Group was remarked on by judges for being the “creator of a movement” and for being someone that “clearly inspires others both by encouragement and by example.”
More broadly in the sector, taking home the Judges Choice Award was Rohini Syed, Data Analyst at Barclays. Presented by Laura Stewart from Gold sponsor, JPMorgan, Syed was celebrated for her advocacy for those in the sector which involved “motivating young girls to supporting the BAME community.” Judges also commented that she was “incredibly driven, future focused and technically adept.”
Organisational awards were handed to Harvey Nash for Inclusive Recruiter of the Year and Morgan Stanley took home the Diversity Initiative of the Year for its Glasgow Women in Technology (WIT) Network.
Silka Patel, Founder and Chair of Scotland Women in Technology said: “Tonight, what has stood out for me is the sheer dedication that is shown to champion and inspire even more women in the technology sector. It is humbling to see how passionate every finalist and winner is about driving equality in the ecosystem; from being mentors and diversity cheerleaders to establishing demonstrable programmes. I am so proud to be a part of a community that is truly making a difference within the parameters of work and the wider community. Congratulations to all this evening."
The full list of winners for the SWiT Awards 2024 included:
- Mentor of the Year Award - Omowumi Akintokun, Senior Cyber Security Specialist - Gender Diversity Ally of the Year - Krit Singhania, Technology Analyst, Barclays - Diversity Initiative of the Year - Morgan Stanley Glasgow Women in Technology (WIT) Network - Rising Star Award - Ufonabasi Udak Umo, Software Engineer, JPMorgan Chase - Everyday Leader Award - Kristy Moir, Business Systems Analyst, Leidos - Career Changer of the Year - Shalu Madan, Cyber Security Engineer, Lloyds Banking Group - Unsung Hero Award - Reshmi McIntosh , Product Owner: Digitally Safe & Secure, Lloyds Banking Group - Inspirational Woman of the Year - Chelsea Jarvie, Chief Information Security Officer, MDU - Inclusive Recruiter of the Year - Harvey Nash - Judges Choice - Rohini Syed, Data Analyst, Barclays
The awards, refreshed for 2024, included four new categories: Mentor of the Year, Unsung Hero Award, Career Changer of the Year and Everyday Leader Award.