The Finalists for the 2019 IITPSA President’s Awards Revealed

TechInAfrica — The Institute for Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) has announced the finalists for the 2019 IITPSA President’s Awards. It has revealed top veterans and innovators in the running for the ICT sector’s most coveted awards.

The prestigious IITPSA President’s Awards includes the IT Personality and Visionary CIO of the year accolades and recognizes the South African IT industry’s dignitary for over 40 years.

Previous winners include Etion CEO, Teddy Daka and Absa CIO for virtual channels, Jacques Barkhuizen (2018); Entelect CEO, Shashi Hansjee and former Sasol global CIO, Alec Joannou (2017); and Adapt IT CEO, Sbu Shabalala and Peter Alkema, business banking CIO at First National Bank (2016).

IITPSA CEO, Tony Parry, states that the nominees for the 2019 awards were again exceptional, highlighting the overall caliber of South Africa’s ICT industry.

“Our judges had a difficult task in singling out finalists from yet another field of sterling ICT leaders, innovators, and change-makers. As the industry’s professional body, IITPSA is proud to see that South Africa’s ICT professionals remain world-class and abreast of global innovation,” Parry says.

The IITPSA awards, presented this year in partnership with ITWeb and EngineerIT and award partner, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, will be awarded at the annual President’s Awards event, to be held in Johannesburg in November.

This year’s event will align with IITPSA’s forward-looking focus on industry progress, youth skills development and increased future partnership efforts, under the theme “NE><T”.

The finalists are:

Visionary CIO Award

The Visionary CIO Award is presented to a CIO who has conducted visionary leadership in using IT to support, grow, and transform business and/or who has established best practices in implementing technology solutions in an organization.

Helen Constantinides, CIO – Avbob Mutual Assurance Society
Avsharn Bachoo, CTO – PPS
Derek Wilcocks, Group CIO – Discovery Limited
Louise van der Bank, CIO – Afrisam
Sandra La Bella, Group CIO – Alexander Forbes

IT Personality Award

The IT Personality Award honors a highly respected and outstanding ICT professional who has made a significant technical or academic contribution to the industry, who has been successful in building a highly-respected IT organization or business, and/or who has made a major contribution to the IT profession over a number of years.

Peter Searle, CEO – Barone, Budge & Dominick (Pty) Ltd
Jaco van der Merwe, CEO – DVT
Lillian Barnard, MD – Microsoft SA
Tiyani Nghonyama, COO – Geekulcha
Professor Jean Greyling, associate professor, Department of Computing Sciences – Nelson Mandela University
Tebogo Makgatho, CEO – Netcampus

Social Responsibility/Community Award

The Social Responsibility/Community Award recognizes a person, team or project that delivers the benefits of IT on a not-for-profit basis into the community or brings the community into the IT space.

Takalani (Taki) Netshitenzhe, chief officer corporate affairs and chairperson of Vodacom Foundation – Vodacom Group
Frans Kalp, CEO – Ligbron E-Learning Systems
Rumbidzaishe Maisva, Head of STEM – Womandla Foundation
Neo Hutiri, Founder – Technovera (Pelebox Smart Locker System)
Professor Jean Greyling, associate professor, Department of Computing Sciences – Nelson Mandela University

Technology Excellence Award

The Technology Excellence Award will be given to a person or team who has made exceptional or innovative use of technology for an organization and/or who has exhibited technological excellence that has delivered measurable benefits for business/the SA Economy.

Technovera (Pelebox Smart Locker System) – Neo Hutiri, founder
Aerobotics – Benji Meltzer, CTO and co-Founder
Mint II – Peter Reid, head of Mint II
Ligbron E-Learning Systems – Frans Kalp, CEO
Pineapple – Marnus van Heerden, co-founder

The ICT sector’s annual highlight, the presentation of the IITPSA President’s Awards, will be carried out as a gala breakfast event in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 27 November.

Source: itweb.co.za