Interview: UBDS Digital, UK IT Industry Awards finalist
'The industry must continue to prioritise digital inclusion and ethical AI’
“We need to move beyond innovation for innovation's sake and instead focus on purposeful technology.”
IT has grown in prominence over the last decade. No longer seen as a cost centre, it's now widely accepted that people can use IT to improve their creativity, productivity and knowledge.
The UK IT Industry Awards are the largest and most well-known event in the technology industry calendar. Owned and operated by Computing and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, the awards enjoy the highest level of professionalism and industry knowledge.
This year's winners will be announced at a live awards ceremony on Wednesday 12th November in London.
One of the finalists is UBDS Digital, where senior consultant Katja Fischer is in the running for the Business Analyst of the Year.
Katja is a passionate analyst whose journey from psychology and business management into IT reflects her commitment to understanding the people behind technology. Driven by values of accountability, teamwork, and loyalty, she creates meaningful change through innovative solutions and improving lives using IT.
Why do you think awards like the UK IT Industry Awards matter?
Awards like the UK IT Industry Awards play a vital role in celebrating the excellence, growth and positive impact of people within the technology industry. They not only recognise outstanding individuals and teams but also showcase the transformative power of IT in improving organisations, communities, and society at large.
In a rapidly evolving landscape, these awards highlight the value of professionalism, ethical leadership, and collaboration, qualities that inspire others to pursue excellence. For me, they serve as a powerful reminder that behind every successful digital transformation are people who care deeply about delivering meaningful outcomes, not just technology.
What would winning this award mean to you?
Winning this award would be an incredible honour and validation of my journey in IT, particularly as someone who transitioned into the field from a background in psychology and business management. It would represent not only the progress I've made personally but also the impact I've been able to drive through collaboration, innovation and empathy.
More than personal recognition, it would be a testament to the colleagues, mentors, clients and family who have trusted me to deliver real change and supported me along the way. It would reaffirm my commitment to upholding professional standards, driving inclusive innovation, and using technology as a force for good.
What would you say is your proudest achievement over the past year?
My proudest achievement over the past year has been supporting colleagues in their professional journeys while delivering meaningful impact for our clients. I've focused on creating an environment that encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement, ensuring that every project becomes an opportunity to learn and grow together.
By promoting consistency, high standards and a shared sense of purpose, I've helped teams deliver innovative, people-centred solutions that have made a real difference to our clients, improving efficiency, service quality and user experience.
Seeing colleagues develop their confidence while collectively achieving exceptional outcomes for clients has been the most rewarding part of my work. It reinforces my belief that when we invest in each other's success, we deliver the greatest value to those we serve.
What have been your biggest challenges of 2025 so far and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges this year has been balancing rapid technological change, particularly with the rise of generative AI tools, with the need for ethical, human-centred implementation. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of new technologies, but ensuring they are applied responsibly and inclusively has required deliberate effort.
I've overcome this by maintaining strong collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, continuously learning and embedding governance frameworks into our innovation processes. This approach ensures that our solutions deliver efficiency and value without compromising trust, quality or fairness. It's also reinforced the importance of transparency and continuous feedback loops with colleagues.
How do you think the IT industry has changed over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?
The industry has undergone a cultural shift as much as a technological one. The mainstream adoption of AI, automation and cloud-native solutions has accelerated transformation, but equally important has been the growing focus on ethics, sustainability and people-first design.
However, there is still work to do. The industry must continue to prioritise digital inclusion, ethical AI and skills development to ensure no one is left behind. We need to move beyond innovation for innovation's sake and instead focus on purposeful technology - solutions that address societal challenges, not just operational ones.
What do you see as the main opportunities for the IT industry in the coming year? How do you plan to capitalise on those opportunities?
The next major opportunity lies in responsible AI adoption and intelligent automation, leveraging data-driven insights to enhance decision-making, efficiency and user experience across sectors. Organisations that harness AI effectively will not only improve productivity but also empower their people to focus on creativity and strategic thinking.
My plan is to continue supporting the development of human-centric AI solutions that blend technical excellence with empathy and understanding. Through collaboration with innovation teams and leadership, I aim to ensure we use emerging technologies to enhance rather than replace human capability, setting new standards for professionalism, quality and impact in the digital era.
The UK IT Industry Awards will take place on 12th November in London. Click here to view the shortlist and here to book your table.