Women in cybersecurity were the winners in several categories at tonight’s thrilling Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT) 2024 Awards.

During the event in Glasgow’s Radisson Blu Hotel, four out of ten winners working in cybersecurity roles were recognised in the Inspirational Woman of the Year, Mentor of the Year, Career Changer of the Year and Unsung Hero categories.

SWIT is one of the oldest women’s business group in Scotland, now in their 16th year. Silka Patel, founder and chair of SWIT, thanked her partners CISCO and Glasgow Caledonian University for their continued support in their cyber initiatives, as well as celebrating their partnership with Women Who Code Edinburgh.

“I never expected this even in a million years,” Ufonabasi Udak Umo, from JP Morgan Chase, who won the first award of the night, the Rising Star award, dedicated to a woman under 25 who was pushing boundaries and innovating early in their career. 

Chelsea Jarvie, chief information security officer at MDU was recognised within the Inspirational Woman of the Year category at the awards and was cheered on by almost 400 guests during the ceremony as she took to the stage. Judges commended Jarvie on her “high level of achievement at a very young age”.

Other awards to cybersecurity specialists included Omowumi Akintokun, a senior cybersecurity specialist, who was named Mentor of the Year during the ceremony and was recognised for being a “trailblazer for women in cybersecurity” where her “mentorship has clearly had a successful impact on the careers of others”.

“I wasn’t expecting this to be sincere,” Akintokun said upon receiving the award. “I just finished my masters in cybersecurity, getting this award tonight is just encouraging to me to continue to do the right thing,” she said. “I encourage you to join us,” in mentoring more women in tech.

Shalu Madan, cybersecurity 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.”

“It’s not been an easy journey, in my career from architecture to technology – I had no idea what i was getting into,” Madan said. “I would say, for all the people thinking of moving to technology: go for it, because you can do it. This is a beautiful carer, and you can be a part of it.”

In the brand-new Unsung Hero Award category, Reshmi McIntosh, digitally safe & secure product owner at Lloyds Banking Group was remarked on by judges for being the “creator of a movement” and for being someone that “clearly inspires others both by encouragement and by example.”

“I’m actually speechless,” McIntosh said when she first approached the podium to accept her award. “What I try to do in my life is help others – I’m a feminist, so I try and help other women,” she said, explaining her motivations in setting up WomenConnectTech to bolster networking and support for women embarking on their tech careers.

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.

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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 this evening.”

The awards, which were refreshed for 2024, included four new categories: Mentor of the Year, Unsung Hero Award, Career Changer of the Year and Everyday Leader Award.

A full list of winners for the SWIT Awards 2024 include: