Nominees have been announced for the 2023 UK IT Industry Awards. Among the shortlists are representatives of nine consulting firms.
The world and technology are changing faster than ever, making understanding, using and shaping IT for success one of the key challenges of 2023. The UK IT Industry Awards are designed to celebrate and promote the organisations, teams, projects, technologies and individuals who continue to help shape the future of IT, industry and digital society.
Owned and operated by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and Computing, the awards enjoy a level of professionalism and industry knowledge not seen at other shows. From transport apps and online shopping baskets to literally saving lives, modern IT impacts all of us.
Rashik Parmar, CEO of BCS, said, “Each one of these outstanding nominees shortlisted for this prestigious award has demonstrated exemplary skills, knowledge, and passion in their respective fields. From AI to championing diversity, the IT community is a vibrant ecosystem of professionals and visionaries. Together, we can continue to make a positive difference in the world, harnessing the power of technology to address global challenges and uplift communities.”
At the same time, getting the most from new technology often requires external expertise. This has seen demand for technology consulting boom in recent years – something recognised by a large presence from professional services providers in the UK IT Industry Awards’ 2023 nominees.
Professionals
In categories aimed at individuals, the award for Personal Excellence sees KPMG’s Matthew Shufflebotham and IBM’s Iulia Olaru among the nominees. Elsewhere, KPMG’s Georgina Bella Tabernero and Cognizant Worldwide’s Souptik Som are among those topped for the Business Analyst of the Year prize.
Asad Ali-Khan of KPMG is nominated for Mentor of the Year. And Inspirational Individual of the Year will see Steph Burgoyne of IBM UK and Clara Sanchez of North Highland among the nominees.
PA Consulting’s Karen Byer is nominated for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader of the Year. Meanwhile, fellow PA professional Steven Pritchard is shortlisted for Security Professional of the Year.
PA’s Kishan Raguras is another consultant up for Rising Star of the Year, alongside Mike Brouwer of North Highland, Versha Choudhary from Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Sarah Nadwick of Turnkey Consulting.
Speaking on Nadwick’s nomination, Richard Hunt, CEO and founder at Turnkey Consulting said, “Sarah goes above and beyond for all clients, striving to provide each with a tailored, innovative, and future-proofed solution. She combines IT knowledge with business acumen and an approachable outlook, making her a trusted advisor for a wide range of clients. Internally she has refined Turnkey’s managed service product as demand has evolved and increased, while also dedicating time and resource to supporting and leading others. A strong advocate for DE&I, she also champions the role of women in IT. Being selected as a finalist in these prestigious awards is richly deserved.”
Organisations
Having received multiple nods in the individuals categories, Big Four firm KPMG was also well represented in collective awards. The firm was nominated for Development Team of the Year; Cloud Innovation of the Year; and Security Innovation of the Year.
Thanks to its heritage in IT, however, it is IBM which has the most nominations of any consulting and advisory firm at the awards. IBM was shortlisted for Emerging Technology of the Year; Project Team of the Year; Special award – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and Artificial Intelligence Project of the Year. Jean Edwards Consulting is also one of the nominees for that final prize.
Similarly, with its own reputation as an IT advisory powerhouse, Tata Consultancy Services picked up multiple nods. These included Team of the Year, for its work with The Co-operative Group UK; and Technology Refresh Project of the Year.
BJSS received two nominations; for Healthcare Sector Project of the Year, where it worked with Care Fertility; and Public Sector Project of the Year, where it worked with DVSA. Cognizant and Network rail were also nominated for that second prize.
And Cognizant’s collaboration with Network Rail was also nominated for Innovation of the Year. As Network Rail attempts to reduce spending and improve the service it provides to millions of travellers across Britain, it is looking to finally realise the potential of remote condition monitoring and AI for its track maintenance efforts.
Winners of the BCS & Computing UK IT Industry Awards 2023 will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 8 November 2023.