Women in cybersecurity honoured at annual awards ceremony in Glasgow

Women working in cybersecurity were among those honoured at a prestigious annual awards ceremony in Glasgow last night.

Four out of the 10 categories at the Scotland Women in Technology awards were recognised for their achievements in online security.

Chelsea Jarvie, chief information security officer at MDU was recognised as the Inspirational Woman of the Year, with judges praising her “high level of achievement at a very young age”.   

Meanwhile Omowumi Akintokun, a senior cybersecurity specialist, was named Mentor of the Year. Akintokun 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”. 

Shalu Madan, Cyber Security Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group was also named as the winner of the Career Changer of the Year category at tonight’s ceremony and was acknowledged as her career transformation “has had a profound impact through her outreach and mentoring activities.”  

In the new Unsung Hero Award category, Reshmi McIntosh, Digitally Safe & Secure Product Owner at Lloyds Banking Group was described by judges as the “creator of a movement” and for being someone that “clearly inspires others both by encouragement and by example.” 

More broadly in the sector, taking home the Judges Choice Award was Rohini Syed, Data Analyst at Barclays. Presented by Laura Stewart from Gold sponsor, JPMorgan, Syed was celebrated for her 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.  

More than 400 guests attended the ceremony, now in its 16th year, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow, which was compered by STV’s Laura Boyd.

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.

“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.”