2022 digital disruptors revealed

disruptors

Australa’s professional technology sector association ACS has revealed the winners of the prestigious annual ACS Digital Disruptors Awards at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel.

The awards aim to recognise the achievements and talent of individual ICT professionals and group ICT skills and service transformations across a range of key award categories.

Nine winners were announced from the 28 finalists across categories recognising individuals, corporates, not-for-profits and start-ups for their contribution to Australia’s technology sector.

This year’s ceremony also marked the awards’ return after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The high quality of entrants this year showed how the Australian technology sector adapted well and thrived despite the impact of the pandemic and shows we are well placed as a global tech hotspot with the finalists showing the way we can lead the world,” ACS President Dr Nick Tate said.

The ACS Digital Disruptors Awards followed the 2022 Reimagination Thought Leaders’ Summit and was the final step of an intensive nine-month national awards process judged by a panel of 29 industry leaders with IBM’s Steve Godbee as head, along with Karen Gee, Technology Business Partner at Melbourne Water; South Australian government Chief Information Officer, Dr. Eva Balan-Vnuk; and Lynn Waraneke, Board Director and Strategic Advisor at Emboss Advisory.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone who took part in this year’s awards, all the entries were impressive and I would like to commend the judging panel who carried out the difficult task of deciding the winners from such a high-quality field,” Dr Tate said.

The winners in each category are:

  • Best New Tech Platform: Humanitix – a not-for-profit ticketing platform.
  • Emerging ICT Professionals of the Year: Chelsea Abel – automation, data and Artificial Intelligence professional, currently working as Senior Solution Consultant with ServiceNow; and Siddhant Shrestha – ICT entrepreneur who founded the start-ups Bodhi Tech and Varicon, a VC-backed construction tech company where he is the Chief Product Officer.
  • ICT Professional of the Year: Dr Mahendra Samarawickrama – a senior leader in the AI and data science sector who was worked with different organisations like the Australian Red Cross.
  • CXO Disruptor of the Year: Bob Sharon – industry disruptor and innovator who, among other achievements, conducted the first NABERS Data Centre Energy rating in 2013.
  • ICT Research Project of the Year: University of Technology, Sydney – world leaders in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions for industry.
  • ICT Service Transformation for the Digital Consumer (Corporate): Openly – developers of an app that turns the smartphone into a remote medical monitoring device.
  • ICT Service Transformation for the Digital Consumer (Government): East Metropolitan Health Service – Data & Digital Innovation – developers of an interactive tool to help in delivering medical services in the wake of the pandemic.
  • ICT Service Transformation for the Digital Consumer (NFP/NGO): Missions Connect – an immersive and interactive technological tool that is effective as a tool for truth-telling and raising awareness about a significant period of Australian Aboriginal history.
  • Skills Transformation of Work Teams (under 100): auticon – a global social enterprise on a mission to provide equal employment opportunities for autistic people.