Kinia, Cognizant and Lenovo among the 2024 Diversity in Tech winners

From individuals to organisations, a total of 17 awards were given, celebrating diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.

The seventh annual Diversity in Tech Awards took place last night (19 September) at Dublin’s RDS, with wins for Kinia, Fiserv and Workday, among others.

Judged by a panel of industry leaders, the awards celebrate diversity, women’s achievements and exceptional leadership in the tech industry.

US recruitment company Greenhouse Software, which opened its first EMEA office in Dublin in 2020, won the Diverse Company of the Year Award.

Dr Alessandra Sala won the Grace Hopper Award, named after the pioneering computer scientist, and pays tribute to STEM professionals who make a lasting impact on technology and society.

With more than 15 years’ experience in research and innovation, Sala is the global president of Women in AI, the co-chair of UNESCO’s Women4Ethical AI and senior director of AI and data science at Shutterstock. In 2021, she received the XV International Prize ‘Le Tecnovisionarie’ in the AI-Industrial Research category. She was previously head of analytics research at Nokia Bell Labs.

At the award ceremony yesterday, Sala delivered a keynote about AI excellence and cultivating a diverse ecosystem. “This award celebrates our collective investment and underscores the importance of building a future where women and underrepresented groups can lead, innovate and inspire in a more equitable tech industry,” she said.

Speaking to SiliconRepublic.com in 2020, Sala said a different approach is needed to tackle the gender problem in AI.

“The model is not to just state that we have a problem. Stating that we have a problem is obvious to everyone,” she said. “Sharing the same experience and stopping there, it doesn’t move the needle.”

Managing director of the awards, Tracey Carney said that “diversity is no longer an optional add-on” for companies. “These awards celebrate not only the companies that have embraced inclusion, but also the individuals who are the driving force behind this transformation.

“The people we honour today are not just professionals; they are passionate advocates, many of whom bring lived experience to their work, making their commitment to diversity all the more powerful and authentic.”

Winners

DE&I Excellence in Leadership Award – Sebastian Gollwitzer (Fiserv)

Neurodiverse Inclusion Award – Auticon

Technical Guru Award – Nicola McDonnell (Workday)

Cultural Inclusion Award – Carelon Global Solutions

Disability Inclusion Award – Criteo

Rising Star Award – Manuela Jeyaraj (ML-Labs)

Tech Leader Award – Rebecca Keenan (Expleo)

Start-up Visionary Award – Sarah Fliessbach (Shareclub)

Diversity in Tech Impact Award – Kinia

DE&I Support Network of the Year – Oracle

Inspirational Diversity Role Model Award – Gracious Nyamupachitu (Pinterest)

STEM Champion Award – Alessia Paccagnini (University College Dublin)

DE&I Special Initiative Recognition Award – Hostelworld

LGBTQ+ Inclusion Award – Cognizant

Trailblazer Award – Dr Amy Awad (Lenovo)

Social Impact Award – Optum Ireland Services Ltd

Diverse Company of the Year Award – Greenhouse Software

Last year, EY Ireland took the Diverse Company of the Year award while Carolan Lennon won the Grace Hopper award.

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