2026 Info-Tech Awards: Recognizing IT Leaders and Organizations for Innovation and Business Impact

Info-Tech Research Group's annual awards program recognizes achievements in IT performance, organizational transformation, and technology leadership across five categories. The 2026 recipients span the public and private sectors, highlighting IT's role in improving operations, meeting business priorities, and developing future leaders.

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 13, 2026 /CNW/ -- Info-Tech Research Group has announced the winners of its 2026 Info-Tech Awards. This year's program names 68 award recipients worldwide for their achievements in IT leadership, innovation, and organizational performance.

The annual awards program recognizes organizational innovation through the Innovator of the Year category and individual leadership through four distinct Leader of the Year categories: Women Leading IT, IT Transformation, IT Excellence, and IT Impact. The evaluation process draws on diagnostic data, nomination forms, and interviews, with criteria specific to each category.

"IT leaders earn credibility when the value they deliver is clear to the rest of the business," says Info-Tech Research Group's Chief Global Services Officer, Hannes Scheidegger. "That can mean stronger service, more effective operations, or a new way to solve a longstanding problem. This year's Info-Tech Awards winners demonstrate the leadership and follow-through needed to make those improvements happen, and we're proud to recognize their achievements."

The Info-Tech Awards spotlight the success and impact of recipients from organizations that vary in size, sector, and operating environment. The program includes North American divisions for large and enterprise organizations and for small and medium organizations, as well as a Global division for recipients outside North America. This year's winners reflect the international reach of the awards and the contributions of IT leaders and teams across both public and private sector organizations.

2026 Info-Tech Awards Winners
The 2026 award recipients represent multiple industries, including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and higher education, as well as government and public services. Their recognition spans technology initiatives that address business challenges, measurable improvements in IT processes and stakeholder satisfaction, and leadership that advances women in technology.

Across the five award categories, the winners have demonstrated how effective IT leadership contributes to organizational performance and the continued evolution of the profession.

2026 Innovator of the Year Award
The Innovator of the Year Award recognizes organizations that deliver impactful, technology-driven initiatives to solve business challenges, improve efficiency, and set new standards for innovation.

The following organizations have been named recipients for 2026:

• North America – Large and Enterprise Division
  • First Student (USA)
  • The Regional Municipality of Durham (Canada)
  • General Dynamics Mission Systems (USA)
  • State of Minnesota – Minnesota Department of Human Services (USA)
  • New York Life Insurance Company (USA)

• North America – Small and Medium Division
  • Whatfix (USA)
  • Vituity (USA)
  • tZERO (USA)
  • Datamotive (USA)
  • Forte Group (USA)

• Global
  • ECH Inc. (APAC)
  • Lewis Silkin (EMEA)
  • CTM360 (EMEA)
  • South East Water (APAC)

2026 Women Leading IT Award
The Women Leading IT Award celebrates women who demonstrate innovation, inclusive leadership, and mentorship within their organizations and across the broader industry, helping to shape the next generation of leaders.

This year's honorees are:

• North America – Large and Enterprise Division
  • Alisha Garrett, Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer, Utah Transit Authority (USA)
  • Priya Nair, Manager of Customer Support and Training, Aspen Tech, an Emerson Company (USA)
  • Priya Udeshi, Senior Director, IT PMO & Chief of Staff, MongoDB (USA)
  • Hina Gandhi, Software Engineering Technical Leader, Cisco (USA)
  • Anh Selissen, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Transportation (USA)
  • Robin Alexander, VP, Global Technology Organization, Mattel, Inc. (USA)
  • Sarah Vlasic, VP of Enterprise Data and AI Workforce Productivity, Vertex Inc. (USA)
  • Andrea Savage, Lead Executive, Data Strategy, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield (USA)
  • Dawn Borent, Head of Retirement Technology Transformation, Manulife (Canada)

• North America – Small and Medium Division
  • Ann Mengelson-Clark, Chief Information & Technology Officer, Kuvare (USA)
  • Karen D'Amico, IT Director, DeVry University (USA)
  • Deborah Duran, Data Science Advisor & Director, National Institutes of Health (USA)
  • Lisa Faison, Chief Information Officer, City of Goodyear (USA)
  • Jaya Srinivasan, CISO, M Financial Group (USA)

• Global
  • Neena Goel, Group Vice President – DPO, Comviva (APAC)
  • Radhika Chennakeshavula, CIO, Silicon Labs (APAC)
  • Kerrie Woods, Director, R&D Clinical Informatics Portfolio, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (EMEA)
  • Nthabiseng Mosupye, CITO, Rand Water (EMEA)
  • Liubov Shchigoleva, Chief of Operations, Qualtir (APAC)

2026 IT Transformation Award
The IT Transformation Award recognizes IT leaders who implemented strategic initiatives aligned with organizational goals and achieved measurable results using Info-Tech's CIO Playbook.

The following leaders have earned recognition for their transformation achievements in 2026:

• North America
  • Sherif Youssef, VP, Enterprise Architect, Cathay Bank (USA)
  • David Blum, Chief Information Officer, United Wheels (USA)
  • Chris LeLeux, Chief Information Officer / GM of IT, Colorado Springs Utilities (USA)
  • Guillermo Garcia, Vice President, Information Technology, TMEIC (USA)
  • George McNulty, Chief Business Technology Officer, State Medicaid CIO, State of Minnesota (USA)
  • Robert Sprinkle, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Florida State University (USA)
  • John Burris, Chief Information Officer, Southeastern Louisiana University (USA)

• Global
  • Alex Bazin, COO and CTO, Lewis Silkin (EMEA)

2026 IT Excellence Award
The IT Excellence Award honors leaders who have demonstrated measurable improvements in IT processes and operational effectiveness, based on progress between assessments in Info-Tech's IT Management & Governance Diagnostic.

The 2026 award recipients are:

• North America – Large and Enterprise Division
  • Daniel Christenson, Director IT Infrastructure, Kubota Tractor Corporation (USA)
  • Dr. Monique Sendze, Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, California State University, Chico (USA)
  • Medhanie Tekeste, Chief Information Officer, City of Brampton (Canada)
  • Pierre-Luc Simard, Vice President Information Technology, Premier Tech (Canada)

• North America – Small and Medium Division
  • Chad Ulland, Senior Manager, Information Technology & Enterprise Cybersecurity, Minnkota Power Cooperative (USA)
  • Jassi Kaur, Chief Information Officer, Yorkville University (Canada)
  • Ronald McKenzie, CIO/IT Director, Information Technology Services, City of Fort Lauderdale (USA)
  • Eddie Huebsch, Business Solutions, Senior Manager, Chickasaw Nation Industries, Inc. (USA)
  • Abdoul Kabaou, Chief Information Officer, City of Little Rock (USA)

• Global
  • Josh Bovell, Chief Information Officer, Private Company (APAC)
  • Esteban Remecz, Chief Information Officer, VP Information Technology & Digital, Maxion Wheels (EMEA)
  • Nikunj Mandlas, Chief Information Officer, Department for Child Protection, South Australia (APAC)
  • Barry Wiech, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Hastings Deering (APAC)
  • Mark Bancroft, Head of IT, Ricoh Australia (APAC)

2026 IT Impact Award
The following leaders have been recognized for their achievements in this category:

• North America – Large and Enterprise Division
  • AJ Grande, Sr. Director, Enterprise Technology, Suns Legacy Partners (USA)
  • Marlen Bogan, Chief Technology Officer, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (USA)
  • Behzad Zamanian, Chief Information Officer, Washoe County, Nevada (USA)

• North America – Small and Medium Division
  • Andrew Harsha, Chief Technology Officer, MSD Lawrence Township (USA)
  • Suzanne Barnes, Chief Information Officer, American Mathematical Society (USA)
  • Clayton von Helf, Information Systems Manager, City of Palm Desert (USA)
  • Troy Cole, Information Technology Director, Montgomery County, Virginia (USA)
  • Jason Frame, Chief Information Officer, Southern Nevada Health District (USA)

• Global 
  • Sean Carritt, Chief Information Officer, Infrastructure NSW (APAC)
  • Artwell Bernard, Chief Information Officer, Bank of Jamaica (LATAM)
  • Nick Garland, Group General Manager, Technology, HUB24 Limited (APAC)
  • Sarah S. Alamri, Senior Officer – IT Strategy & Innovation, Arab National Bank (EMEA)
  • Jacob Johnson, Head of Technology & Digital, Settlement Services International Limited (APAC)

For more information about the Info-Tech Awards and the complete list of winners, please visit the 2026 Info-Tech Awards page.

To request interviews or expert commentary from Info-Tech's experts on the awards program or the evolving role of IT leadership and innovation, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group
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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group