RAW DATA: Excellence in IT Awards handed out at gala event

Last night the winners of the Excellence in IT Awards 2016 were handed out in front of nearly 700 people at a gala event in Wellington.

The eight Awards celebrate the individuals and teams that make up the industry and are a collaboration of 11 of New Zealand's leading tech associations, to create a truly sector-wide awards programme. Partners include the Institute of IT Professionals, CITRENZ, TUANZ, Health Informatics NZ, itSMF NZ, NZ Software Association, GOVIS, Project Management Institute, InternetNZ, NZRise and the NZ Open Source Society.

Paul Matthews, chief executive of IITP, says the finalists did their best to make the judges’ job as difficult as possible.

“We had a tremendous amount of interest and the finalists were all of very high calibre, as you would hope in an industry like ours.”

On behalf of IITP and its partners, Matthews thanked the judges for their hard work.

“It really wasn’t an easy job to single out the winners, something that is a sure sign of the vibrancy and quality of the people who work in the IT world.”

The Awards gala dinner, MC’d by comedian Raybon Kan, took place at the end of Day Two of the ITx Conference, which concludes today.

The Winners and judge’s comments:

IT Project Excellence Award

Nick Kumarich & NZME Technology Delivery Teams

With no disruption or milestones missed, the judges were seriously impressed with the exemplary project management and multi-talented team that oversaw the highly successful technology merger.

Excellence in IT Education

Michael Trengrove from CodeClub Aotearoa

Michael’s commitment to the cause, and drive that has seen rapid scaling of the project, really impressed the judges. Engaging nearly 1000 volunteers, the project is the very definition of excellence in IT education.

Excellence in Health Informatics

Dr David Hay Orion Health 

David demonstrates a breadth of understanding of the Heath sector and has dedicated his entire career to bridging the role of clinician (he is a GP by training) with technology, with stunning results. 

Excellence in Software

CricHQ 

The judges especially liked the team’s great technical leadership in its early adoption of crowdsourcing, and continuing to look for new opportunities to develop the product.

Excellence in Public Sector IT

Information Services Group at the Whanganui District Council

The Judges were impressed with the clearly articulated strategy and delivery of multiple projects that has seen Whanganui awarded in the Top 7 Intelligent Communities in the world in 2016. Well done to a great team.

Excellence in IT Service Management

Brent Logan from the Canterbury DHB

The service management changes implemented by the DHB saw massive improvement in customer experience, call logging and account lockouts, and served as a catalyst for the rest of the organization to pursue excellence.

Young IT Professional of the Year

Thomas Mitchell from Hunchbuzz 

All the finalists were amazing, but the judges found Thomas’ can-do attitude and sense of social responsibility humbling for someone in their early 20s. Operating at the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurialism, Thomas is an inspiration.

New Zealand IT Professional of the Year

Victoria Maclennan from Optimal BI

The judges felt Victoria was the epitome of the technology advocate, working at all levels to elevate the development and use of technology in New Zealand. She walks the walk and yet remains incredibly humble throughout. We’re very proud to recognise Victoria as the 2016 New Zealand IT Professional of the Year.

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