It's time to recognise female excellence in ICT once again. And there's no better way than through the second annual ARN Women in ICT Awards (WIICTA) which hit the ground running on October 8 when nominations open. They close a fortnight later on October 22. WIICTA will be presented at a lavish luncheon in Sydney at the Ivy Ballroom on Wednesday November 27.

Last year, the inaugural awards were launched with resounding success and more than 120 ICT professionals attended the event. This year, there are six awards that recognise and celebrate female excellence in the ICT channel, rewarding professional achievements and outstanding results in the industry. They recognise the very best in the channel, celebrating the achievements of a talented crop of female front runners who have made it through to become influential figures in Australia's ICT industry. The awards also recognise the 'rising stars' in the industry, women who are quickly growing in stature in the ICT industry. This year, the WIICTA awards will have a similar nomination process to 2012, whereby the nominee can either self-nominate or be nominated by a coworker, colleague or manager.

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From October 8, the nominations page will be listed under the WIICTA button which can be found on the homepage of the website. Alternately you can to nominations page on the website. To nominate simply fill in the two or three criteria listed for each award.

With the standout success of last year's awards, ARN is looking forward, once again, to congratulating and applauding a talented group of professionals. The 2013 Judging Panel has been selected and is comprised of three women from the ARN Hall of Fame, key senior executive managers from companies who have a strong ethos of gender diversity and some winners from the 2012 WIICTA. The Judging Panel is: Pip Marlow (Microsoft); Maree Lowe (ASI Solutions); Wendy O'Keeffe (Westcon Group); Sara Adams; Kellie Reeves (Dimension Data); Mark Whittard (Toshiba); Duncan Bennet (VMware); Brenton Smith (Symantec); Margrith Appleby (HP); Andrea Della Mattea (Insight); Michelle Zamora (IBM); and Dominic Whitehand (WhiteGold Solutions).

The awards are as follows:

Achievement -- The Achievement award recognises the candidate showing outstanding commitment to the ICT industry through continuous career development and professional achievements. The candidate will have risen to a senior ICT role, earned a reputation as an esteemed thought-leader and recognised as a leader in the industry, and may also act as a role model/mentor to other aspiring female managers.

Rising Star -- The Rising Star award recognises the candidate with a commitment to continuous career advancement and a proven desire to reach the next level of professional development. The candidate is growing quickly in importance in the ICT field, demonstrating outstanding business acumen and professional integrity.

Entrepreneur -- The Entrepreneur award recognises the candidate who has achieved outstanding results in the ICT industry; an enterprising individual who has achieved success through risk-taking and initiative, often shattering the status quo in business in order to set up new ventures, products or new services.

Innovation -- The Innovation award recognises the candidate who is a stand-out in delivering 'big picture' ideas and vision in the ICT industry, thereby responding to change and discovering unique and challenging business opportunities. The candidate will show a proven track record of finding new and better ways of doing business, continually pushing the envelope in the ICT industry.

Technical -- The Technical award recognises the candidate who has excelled in the IT and engineering segment of the market, demonstrating a proven depth of knowledge and abilities. The candidate will demonstrate excellence in problem-solving and decision-making skills, and an exemplary level of accomplishment in job performance.

Community -- The Community award recognises the candidate with exemplary service to the ICT sector, through philanthropic initiatives and efforts to foster a positive working environment for women in IT. The goodwill ambassador will be actively making a difference in the IT community, working towards the advancement of women in ICT, and going above and beyond to give back to the community.

Happy WIICTA awards season and stay tuned for more details on the event.

(By Jennifer O'Brien)