NZ CIO Awards 2025 finalists announced

The finalists for this year’s NZ CIO Awards have been announced.

Now in its 15th year, the awards recognise individuals and organisations who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and transformative impact through technology.

The awards are held as part of the New Zealand CIO Summit, organised by IDC in conjunction with Brightstar.

The finalists for the 2025 NZ CIO Awards are:

NZ CIO of the Year

This award celebrates a senior ICT leader who exemplifies strategic thinking, innovation, and transformative leadership. They will demonstrate innovation and key successes achieved in the past 12 months with an eye on digital leadership in the future. They will also be able to show how technology and digital will enable their organisation’s overall business strategy.

• Alexandra Smart, Chief Technology Officer, Southern Cross Travel Insurance
• Hamish Archer, Chief Digital Officer, WEL Networks
• Sean O’Donoghue, Chief Information Officer, BestStart Educare
• Stephen Kurzeja, Chief Technology Information Officer, 2degrees

Emerging ICT Leader of the Year

This award recognises and celebrates exceptional talent in New Zealand’s ICT sector- future leaders under 35 who are demonstrating outstanding ICT initiative and leadership.

• Fiona Millar, Digital Transformation Manager, Christchurch International Airport
• Henry Chen, Principal Analyst and Data Scientist, Yes Energy
• Stasha Rmandic, Head of Analytics and Insights, Whakarongorau Aotearoa

Business Transformation through Digital and IT

This award celebrates organisations that have successfully planned and executed business transformation initiatives by leveraging digital and disruptive technologies. It recognises those that have strategically integrated these innovations to deliver outstanding outcomes aligned with their broader business goals.

• 2degrees
• AA Insurance
• Foodstuffs South Island

Excellence in Customer Value
This award celebrates technology teams that redefine customer engagement, delivering increased levels of customer value and experience through a refreshed approach to user engagement.

• Auckland Transport
• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
• Lightwire

Innovation Leadership through an Emerging Technology

This award celebrates an organisation that is redefining innovation by harnessing emerging technologies to shape the future of their industry. It recognises those leveraging an emerging technology to create new business models, transform processes, or develop new products and services.

• Hamilton City Council
• Whakarongorau Aotearoa

Best ICT Team Culture and Inclusion

This award recognises outstanding ICT team culture, recruitment, inclusion, and diversity practices that drive team and organisational success. These organisations prioritise recruitment, retention, and training future talent as essential to building high-performing ICT teams.

• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
• Fletcher Building
• 2degrees

Community Tech Champions

This award honours outstanding initiatives that promote digital equity, diversity, and accessibility to technology and tech careers in Aotearoa, New Zealand. These initiatives may include programmes for women in tech, Māori and Pasifika in tech, regional or community projects, accessibility for people with disabilities, youth engagement, and lifelong learning.

• Digital Future Aotearoa
• Talent RISE
• Women in Data Science New Zealand

Outstanding Contribution to Technology and Business in New Zealand

This award honours a high-profile business leader from either the public or private sector whose contributions have significantly and uniquely impacted the New Zealand or global business community through information technology. The recipient is selected by the judging panel and will be announced at the CIO Awards Gala Dinner.

The NZ CIO Awards winners will be announced at the CIO Awards Gala Dinner on 19 August.