Two women working in Aberdeen’s technology sector were named as winners at last night’s thrilling Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT) 2024 Awards.
During the event in Glasgow’s Radisson Blu Hotel, two out of ten winners hailed from Aberdeen and were recognised in Everyday Leader and Mentor of the Year categories.
Kristy Moir, Business Systems Analyst at innovation company, Leidos was awarded the Everyday Leader Award in front of a room of almost 400 guests. Moir was described by judges as being a “fantastic role model” who had shown a “sustained commitment to programmes that have delivered strong results.”
Additionally, Omowumi Akintokun, a Senior Cyber Security Specialist from the Granite City was named as Mentor of the Year during the ceremony. She 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”.
Other awards presented this evening were handed to:
Chelsea Jarvie, Chief Information Security Officer at MDU was recognised in the Inspirational Woman of the Year category at the awards. Judges commended Jarvie on her “high level of achievement at a very young age”.
Shalu Madan, Cyber Security Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group was also named as the winner of the Career Changer of the Year award at tonight’s ceremony and was acknowledged as her career transformation “has had a profound impact through her outreach and mentoring activities.”
Rohini Syed, Data Analyst at Barclays was handed the Judges Choice Award. Presented by Laura Stewart from Gold sponsor, JP Morgan. Syed was celebrated for 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 – particularly from the North East of Scotland. 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:
| Category | Name | Role | Organisation |
| Mentor of the Year Award Sponsored by Harvey Nash | WINNER: Omowumi Akintokun | Senior Cyber Security Specialist | |
| HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ruth McDonald | Product Lead | AND Digital | |
| 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 Sponsored by 2i Testing | Ufonabasi Udak Umo | Software Engineer | JPMorgan Chase |
| Everyday Leader Award Sponsored by i-confidential | 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 Sponsored by Zühlke | WINNER: Chelsea Jarvie | Chief Information Security Officer | MDU |
| HIGHLY COMMENDED: Caroline Roberts Haritonov | Managing Director and Chief Consultant | Astrimar | |
| Inclusive Recruiter of the Year | Harvey Nash | ||
| Judges Choice | Rohini Syed | Data Analyst | Barclays |
The awards, which were refreshed for 2024, included four new categories: Mentor of the Year, Unsung Hero Award, Career Changer of the Year and Everyday Leader Award.
