Winners of the 2020 WID Awards
The Women in Digital Awards were founded based on the idea ‘you can’t be what you can’t see.’ The awards are a celebration of incredible women and non-binary folk within the digital industries and the organisations that support them.
In 2020 we received over 250 nominations and 150 submissions. It was not an easy job for our panel of industry expert judges but we are so very excited to announce our incredible WINNERS of the 2020 Women in Digital Awards.
Get to know the 2020 WID Award Winners
The 2020 Founder of the Year, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), is… Silvia Pfeiffer
Silvia Pfeiffer is a technologist, author and digital health enthusiast. She is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Coviu, a telehealth start-up SaaS company specialising in digital service delivery platforms. Spun out of CSIRO in 2018, this innovative software enables clinicians to set up video consultations with patients on a secure yet user-friendly platform, supporting a multitude of content types.
As expected, COVID-19 turned into somewhat of a catalyst for the uptake of Coviu. During a time when physical distancing and remote appointments became the norm, the importance of telehealth as a modality of healthcare delivery also become apparent. Fortunately, Coviu was able to scale both rapidly and successfully to support healthcare businesses in their digital transformation. Coviu is expected to achieve 250% growth this financial year.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“What an amazing achievement – from commercialisation of your technology to your exponential scale during COVID. I really admire your customer-led philosophy and company leadership. Congratulations on executing your vision to digitally transform healthcare. Wishing you continued success and growth!”
Read our exclusive interview with Silvia discussing Coviu, her career journey and thoughts on diversity in digital here!
The 2020 Executive Leader of the Year, powered by Salesforce, is… Katherine Carmody
Katherine Carmody is the Executive General Manager of Digital Distribution at Suncorp Group where she is responsible for driving transformational change, formulating digital strategies and designing the customer experience. Throughout her 15 year career at Suncorp no less, she has demonstrated her effectiveness as a leader, forging high-performance teams that consistently deliver excellent outcomes.
Katherine’s winning entry outlined her superior leadership skills in launching the AAMI App during a pandemic, fast-tracking Webchat for claims customers in three days and leading the rollout of Intelligent Virtual Assistants across major brands. All in all, Katherine’s nomination clearly demonstrated her dedication to driving digital customer engagement and continually improving and optimising the customer experience at Suncorp. An advocate for women in digital and collaborating with like-minded people, Katherine is a guest speaker at digital leadership events, roundtables and forums, and judges for industry competitions including the Women in Digital Awards in 2019.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“Her passion for leadership shone through – outstanding results and resilience through a particularly difficult year.”
“Clear outcomes and deliverables in very short timeframes to drive a ‘pivot’ in the business. A great entry!”
“Extremely strong in the leadership space.”
The 2020 Technical Leader of the Year, powered by COSOL, is… Sorcha Abel
Sorcha Abel is a Software Developer at Genie Solutions. With over 15 years’ experience, Sorcha has held a variety of technical roles, including many leadership positions that have provided her with opportunities to mentor, guide and lead others in the industry. As part of her winning entry, Sorcha was involved in the architecture, infrastructure, design, coding, testing and deployment phase of an impressive Health Fund Fee Importer project designed to automate the process of importing private health fund fees through a sophisticated script.
In her spare time however, Sorcha is passionate about mentoring women in technology and regularly organises, mentors and presents at events including Elixir Girls, Brisbane Installfest, Coder Academy, Muses and Coder Dojo. She is also the co-organiser of Rails Girls Brisbane that focuses on introducing women to tech and showing young people what a career in tech could look like.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“Aside from her technical skill set and execution, her contribution to the industry is outstanding. Sorcha is a true advocate for the community of women in digital.”
“Open Source & mentoring contributions are solid & impressive.”
Read our exclusive interview with Sorcha talking about her career journey, contributions to women in tech and advice for students interested in a tech pathway here!
The 2020 Digital Marketer of the Year, powered by Canva, is… Lauren Swidenbank
Lauren Swidenbank is a digital marketing expert and paid ads specialist with a passion for analytics. As Founder and Director of boutique digital marketing agency, Cali Social, Lauren has a solid track record of implementing successful paid ad campaigns for a range of small to medium-sized businesses.
Lauren’s winning entry was based on the excellent work she did for a client of Cali Social’s in 2019-2020. Using a mix of Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram ads, Lauren planned, created, implemented and optimised the entire campaign from building the campaign structure and targeting, to making ad copy and creative assets for the client. In less than 12 months, the client’s business grew from a 6-figure business to a 7-figure business with impressive figures across the board. Key results include:
- 307.51% increase in revenue in 12 months
- 278.04% increase in the number of transactions
- 219.54% increase in new users to the site
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“From the moment I read this entry it stuck with me. I love the thinking outside the box approach, attending car meets, taking the client to challenge herself and what an incredible result. Stand out entry for me based on her candid and relatable entry.”
“Loved her enthusiasm and obvious passion and pride for what she does. She was very customer focussed in her approach and has a great attitude to her work. The results are impressive and I feel would not have been achieved if she did not have the drive and love for what she does.”
“I can feel Lauren’s passion for her campaign and all things digital when reading her entry!! A fantastic example of how when you challenge self-doubt with determination, data, strategy and testing & learning you can achieve impressive results.”
Read our exclusive interview with Lauren chatting about her winning-entry, love of paid ads and advice for early-on-career professionals here!
The 2020 Diversity Employer of the Year (Enterprise), powered by Urban Utilities is… Griffith University
Griffith University currently ranks in the top 2% of universities worldwide with over 4,000 staff across four campuses in Queensland. A recognised leader in online education, Griffith also boasts excellent diverse workforce stats, especially in their digital-focussed departments. Key demographics include:
- 61% of staff are women
- 55% of Executive Group are women
- 75% of senior Corporate Services officers are women
- 45% of senior academic staff are women
- 49% of senior professional staff are women
They have also seen an increase in the following groups:
- The proportions of senior female academic staff have increased by 5% since 2017
- The proportions of senior female professional staff have increased by 5% since 2017
- The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff have increased from 56 in 2017 to 68 in 2020.
- The proportion of women at Professor (Level E) in the Science Group have increased by 3% since 2018
- An overall increase in the proportion of academic women in Sciences Group by 3%
“Our ability to provide an inclusive environment for our staff is enabled by inclusive leadership, equitable access to professional development, opportunities to provide feedback, targeted diversity programs and an overall commitment to improving the pipeline for women and other underrepresented groups”. – Griffith University
Griffith University also has several committees and targeted programs to support diversity and inclusion including the Women in Leadership program, Leneen Forde Leaders program, Gender Equality Research Network and Griffith Ally Network to support LGBTIQ+ staff and students. Their capability framework provides all staff with easily accessible career development opportunities so staff can further their career.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“Their proven results in improving diversity across the entire institution and appointment of diverse leaders into the institution is something that deserves celebrating!”
“Appreciation and action for diversity goes beyond gender.”
“Contemporary, mature and enduring diversity initiatives.”
The 2020 Diversity Employer of the Year (SMB), powered by Urban Utilities is… Blackbook.ai
Blackbook.ai is one of Australia’s largest privately-owned service companies that specialise in automation and artificial intelligence. With offices in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the company prides itself on its diversity, professionalism and start-up mentality where innovation is at the forefront of everything they do. At Blackbook.ai, over 1 in 2 employees are considered diverse with an overall female ratio of 30%. Key demographics include:
- 30% of the Executive Management team are female
- 100% of the Process Engineering team are female
- 40% of the AI team are female
- 12% of the RPA Development (IT software development) team are female
- 100% of the Digital Marketing team are female
- 50% of the Data Ops team are female
- 12% of the Development group are female
“Having a strong female representation in the management team is crucial in our industry, it not only promotes women to aspire to higher roles, but also build each other up.” – Blackbook.ai
Over the past five years, Blackbook.ai has built a diverse and inclusive culture and continues to be involved in initiatives that promote women in STEM and target women through recruiting campaigns including speaking at high schools and universities.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“I like the methodology for defining diverse representation is ‘collective’ diversity rather than ‘individual’ diversity. Industry/public showcasing of what’s possible and their passion for diversity. Recognises that diversity in the customer base must be represented internally for success and sustainability.”
Read our exclusive interview with Natasha Lam, Head of Finance Automation at Blackbook.ai, discussing emerging tech, Covid-19 and of course, diversity in digital here!
The 2020 Rising Star of the Year, powered by AWS, is… Lucy Wang
Lucy Wang is currently a third-year student at the University of New South Wales, due to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems in 2020. A go-getting self-starter, Lucy has already built an impressive list of accomplishments and industry experience including interning at PwC and Deloitte and working as a Head Teacher at Code Camp. But that’s not all.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“Some very strong leadership already showcased. The reach for the UNSW Digital Society (students + industry) is impressive.”
Read our exclusive interview with Lucy talking about her University experience, career goals and advice for other students interested in digital here!
The 2020 Innovator of the Year, powered by Clinic to Cloud, is… Carolyn Mee
Carolyn Mee is the Founder and CEO of the Sound Scouts app, an online hearing screening service designed to check for hearing issues in children. This innovative solution incorporates the science of a hearing test in a mobile game that is accessible, fun and affordable for families.
Developed in collaboration with the National Acoustic Laboratories, the game is an entirely digital product that incorporates advanced scientific principles. Since its launch, the app has secured support from the Australian Government’s Department of Health to offer the service for free and to date, it has had a significant impact on detecting undiagnosed hearing loss in children. Sound Scouts is now being used in over 1,200 Australian schools and has been used to complete 40,000 children’s checks plus an additional 15,000 adult tests.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“This was a strong submission and demonstrated the important COVID pivot.”
“Positive social impact, well-articulated entry and truly innovative – incredible submission.”
Read our exclusive interview with Carolyn chatting about her winning entry, a career in digital and insight into diversity in tech here!
The 2020 Digital Experience Leader of the Year, powered by WP Engine, is… Alisha Bailey
- 24% increase in Digitally active customers (38% versus 30%)
- 63% Increase in Digital sales share (26% v 16% FY19)
- 69% increase in monthly app interactions (2.1m v 1.3m FY19)
- App store rating 4.5 June FY20 up from 1.6 in June FY19
- SSMR 91% through digital in June FY20 versus 58% in FY19
- No.1 energy app in Australia in the app store for both iOS and Android
- A 63% increase in sales through digital channels, 69% increase in monthly app interactions and an app store rating improvement from 1.6 to 4.5
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“Alisha was the winner thanks to the technical complexity, challenge, seamless CX, passion for the voice of the customer, pivoting quickly, the predictive component helps to differentiate.”
“Alisha came across as the winner thanks to her clear business impact and the fact that she had a really clear design process.”
Thank you to our amazing 2020 partners:
The Women in Digital Awards would not be possible without their support.
