The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) has opened the 2022 President’s Awards application process, inviting IT executives to nominate their candidates.
This year, the annual event that recognises the IT industry’s leading CIOs marks its 65th anniversary – a milestone traditionally associated with a sapphire. In light of this, the IITPSA has themed its sapphire anniversary President’s Awards as ‘Brilliance in IT’, it reveals.
“This year’s theme is appropriate on several levels,” says Admire Gwanzura, president of the IITPSA.
“Sapphires are formed as a result of heat and intense pressure, and once cut and polished they are brilliant, rare and exceptionally hard stones. Likewise, pressure and polish have shaped the brilliance we see in many of South Africa’s IT leaders today.”
Furthermore, for this year’s awards, the IITPSA has unveiled a new youth-focused category aimed at highlighting the achievements of students, IT entrepreneurs or up-and-coming IT professionals under the age of 35. The new category is called the Dynamism in ICT Youth Award.
Gwanzura adds: “The new award has been introduced because the IITPSA is passionate about growing the South African IT skills pipeline and broader ecosystem. By recognising outstanding students, exceptional young professionals embarking on their IT careers and entrepreneurs innovating in IT, we aim to encourage them and raise their public profiles.”
The IITPSA President’s Awards have recognised key IT industry leaders for over 40 years. Past winners have included University of Johannesburg vice-chancellor and principal professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Geekulcha COO Tiyani Nghonyama, Zutari CEO Teddy Daka and former Adapt IT CEO Sbu Shabalala, to name a few.
The ITPSA has called for nominations for the following awards:
IT Personality Award: Recognises a highly-respected and outstanding ICT professional who has made a significant technical or academic contribution to the industry. The award also seeks to recognise someone that has been successful in building a highly-respected IT organisation or business, and/or who has made a major contribution to the IT profession over a number of years.
Visionary CIO Award: Honours a CIO who has demonstrated visionary leadership in using IT to support, grow and transform business and/or who has established best-practice in implementing technology solutions in an organisation.
Technology Excellence Award: Presented to a person or team who has made exceptional or innovative use of technology for an organisation and/or who has exhibited technological excellence that has delivered measurable benefit for business and the South African economy.
Social Responsibility/Community Award: Presented to 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.
Dynamism in ICT Youth Award: Recognises a person younger than 35 for exceptional potential or achievement in ICT. Candidates should be nominated by educators, employers, colleagues or mentors, and may include students excelling in STEM studies with outstanding bodies of work, young entrepreneurs in the IT sector and individual up-and-coming IT professionals.
The closing date for nominations is 5pm on 31 August. The finalists will be announced in October and the winners will be named at the IITPSA President’s Awards to be hosted in November.
To submit nominations, click here.
Share