A hairstylist turned tech entrepreneur scooped a Scottish Women in Technology (SWiT) award last night at a glitzy Glasgow ceremony celebrating the achievements of women in the industry.
Tracey Aitken, co-founder of HairTracker was unveiled as the wildcard winner of the Career Changer of the Year at the annual SWiT Awards at the Radisson Blu hotel in the city.
Other big winners during the awards ceremony included software testing and quality assurance organisation, 2i Testing and data and AI recruiter, The Data Gals.
Individuals from 2i Testing were recognised in three categories for their diversity efforts including the Everyday Leader Award, Inspirational Woman of the Year and Gender Diversity Ally of the Year.
Winners from the company included Victoria Stark, QAT analyst who received the Everyday Leader Award. She was recognised for what the judges said was “the transformation of internal communications, mentorship and empowerment across the organisation.”
The Judges Choice award went to Sarah Burne James of IBM.
In total, ten individuals and organisations took home prizes at the ceremony which brought together over 400 people.
Aitken, co-founder of HairTracker, a digital record card app that allows salon professionals to document a client’s hair journey and details resulting in stronger customer relationships, took home the Career Changer of the Year award. Judges commented that Tracy’s journey to tech had been an “inspirational story of determination” and a “huge jump into a completely different sector” in launching a “fantastic idea for her industry.”
Katherine Leyland, software test engineer at 2i Testing was named as Inspirational Woman of the Year. Judges commented that her story was “deeply inspirational – transitioning from teaching to tech, overcoming personal loss, and leading technical transformation.”
| Category | Name | Role | Organisation |
| Rising Star AwardSponsored by Arnold Clark | Sonja Jillich | Associate Software Engineer | JPMorganChase |
| Career Changer of the YearSponsored by FanDuel | Tracey Aitken | Co-founder | HairTracker |
| Mentor of the Year Sponsored by Harvey Nash | Katarina Svistseva | Founder | The Data Gals |
| Gender Diversity Initiative of the YearSponsored by 2i Testing | Stellar Elevate Programme, Stellar Omada | ||
| Inclusive Recruiter of the YearSponsored by Hymans Robertson | The Data Gals | ||
| Everyday Leader AwardSponsored by NatWest | Victoria Stark | QAT Analyst | 2i Testing |
| Unsung Hero AwardSponsored by Lloyds Banking Group | Julia Newell | Director and Co-founder | BA Life / IIBA Scotland |
| Inspirational Woman of the YearSponsored by Wheatley Group | Katherine Leyland | Software Test Engineer | 2i Testing |
| Gender Diversity Ally of the YearSponsored by Avaloq | Dawed Saied | Senior Customer Success Manager | 2i Testing |
| Judges Choice Sponsored by Morgan Stanley | Sarah Burne James | Client Adoption Specialist | IBM |
Finally, Dawed Saied, senior customer success manager at 2i Testing took home the Gender Diversity Ally of the Year. He was recognised for championing “women in technology, gender diversity and cultivating a supportive environment for all in both his role at 2i as well at Codespace and Edinburgh College.”
Later in the evening, Katarina Svistseva, founder of The Data Gals, a data and AI recruiter was named not only as Mentor of the Year but also took home Inclusive Recruiter of the Year. Judges noted that she had built a “structured, scalable mentorship programme that has supported 84 women across Scotland and Wales.” The organisation was also celebrated for being built entirely on inclusive recruitment principles. From 50/50 shortlists to removing degree requirements, the organisation has seen placement stats far exceed industry averages in the last 12 months.
Silka Patel, founder and chair of Scotland Women in Technology, said: “Our winners this year are truly inspirational; bringing fresh perspectives from new sectors, supporting a wealth of peers across the UK, and creating supportive environments for diversity to flourish. With over 300 award nominations to just 10 winners, our judges commented how difficult it was to whittle down such high calibre entries. What is clear, however, is that Scotland is leading the way in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion; and championing this across the spectrum is part of the DNA for many organisations based in the country. Congratulations to each of our winners and finalists this evening.”
