UK IT Industry Awards 2009: IT Leaders of the Year

In the build-up to the UK IT Industry awards ceremony, we profile the finalists that have made it onto the shortlist for some of the biggest prizes. This week, we preview the IT Leader of the Year, sponsored by Qedis.

The awards programme merges the longstanding Computing Awards for Excellence and the BCS IT Industry Awards to create a platform for the entire UK IT profession to showcase and celebrate best practice, innovation and excellence. The winners will be announced at the lavish prizegiving ceremony, to be held at the Battersea Park Events Arena in London on Thursday 12 November 2009.

To view the full list of finalists for each award, and to book your table at what will be the biggest night of the UK IT calendar, visit our web site at: www.computing.co.uk/awards.

Phil Pavitt, chief information officer, Transport for LondonPavitt has led TfL’s technology department from a disparate, expensive and mis-aligned IT team, to an increasingly streamlined, cost-effective and reliable service-driven one. He has driven a substantial infrastructure refresh programme and made considerable cost savings for the public purse.

Alan Harrison, director of IT, Yorkshire Water Services
Harrison has consistently demonstrated the highest personal, role model and visionary leadership qualities that have driven IT from a “flabby-overhead” to a valued business partner, delivering class-leading levels of service, efficiency and innovation. This has been the key-enabler in transforming Yorkshire Water from poorest performer in the sector to one of the best.

Chris Price, head of ICT solutions, Highways Agency
The success of the Highways Agency’s outsourcing project was down to having a team led by Price, an internal civil servant, with in-depth understanding of the subject and much technical and commercial knowledge, expertise and experience to fully execute the role of “intelligent client”.

Ajay Burlingham-Böhr, director of information systems and media services, Anglia Ruskin University
Burlingham-Böhr has overseen a transformational change in the university’s IT systems and processes, including the implementation of more than 50 major projects to time and budget, improving staff morale, and the creation of an IT strategy to deliver organisational objectives.

Paul Smith, head of IT, Business Stream
Business Stream is the leading provider of non-domestic water and waste water services in Scotland. The company was formed in 2006 by breaking away from Scottish Water. At this time there were no corporate functions. Smith was brought into the company in August 2007 to set up the IT department and has led his team through two significant transformation programmes.

David Walters, chief information and innovations officer, LBM Direct Marketing
Walters has used technology to stabilise and revitalise the business by driving innovation in a pragmatic and practical way. LBM’s blue-chip clients look to the firm’s technology to help research and develop their ideas and bring them to life rapidly and safely with cost savings through IT innovation.

Terry Trundley, chief information officer, Fife Council
Trundley has developed a practical blueprint for how large IT departments should be transformed to meet the demands of the 21st century. In just 18 months, he transformed Fife Council’s IT service into a modern, professional IT unit structured on a lifecycle model that facilitates a large number of achievements in a short time by realigning the operational complexities of a large IT department.

David Henderson, chief information officer, A&N Media
A&N Media is a £1.4bn publishing business, formed by the merger of Associated Newspapers and Northcliffe Media in October 2008. Henderson was appointed CIO at the time of the merger and led a transformation programme to reduce cost while formulating and executing a new technology strategy to reposition the business and provide a platform for future growth.

Kate Craig-Wood, managing director, Memset
Craig-Wood is founder and managing director of hosting firm Memset, and since its inception in 2002 has led a series of innovations that have driven the firm’s growth. Memset pioneered virtual machine hosting in 2002, was the UK’s first carbon neutral ISP in 2006 and last year featured in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 after achieving 832 per cent growth in five years.

Catalina McGregor, founder of the Cabinet Office CIO/CTO Council Green ICT Delivery Group
McGregor has led one of the single most significant step-change programmes impacting the government IT profession. The agenda she has driven has permeated IT from product design, policies, packaging, green credentials, international standards, hazardous materials to disposals. She works with every government CIO and chief technology officer to deliver green IT.

Visit www.computing.co.uk/awards for the full list of finalists in each category.