A leading government IT professional has been recognised
in the Blackberry Women and Technology awards, held at the
Riverbank Park Plaza hotel in London last week.
Annette Vernon, chief information officer at the Department for
Constitutional Affairs, won the award for "best woman in
technology" in the non-profit and public sector category.
The awards were created by Blackberry PDA manufacturer Research
In Motion and women's networking group Aurora to pay tribute to
women demonstrating excellence, innovation and leadership in the
field of technology.
Vernon joined the Department for Constitutional Affairs in 1999
at a time when IT in the courts was limited by under-investment,
few resources and a lack of strategic vision on how to develop and
exploit IT for business, the awards judges said.
Through several initiatives, Vernon increased the profile of IT
in the department and altered the perceptions of both staff and the
public so that IT is now recognised as crucial to the improvement
of service delivery in the courts, they said.
Vernon has radically changed IT spending in the department. In
1999 the average investment in IT per member of staff in the courts
was £1,200. By 2006, the average investment per user will be £4,000
per annum.
Ailsa Beaton, director of information for the Metropolitan
Police, also received a special mention in the public
sector/non-profit category.
The overall award went to Jackie Edwards, a lecturer at De
Montfort University, whom the judges described as an "inspiration
in making academia accessible through technology".