Next CIO Australia 2025 finalists unveiled

The finalists for the 2025 Next CIO Award in this year’s CIO50 Australia have been announced.

This award recognises rising stars in ICT who are on the pathway to senior leadership. The Next CIO winner will be an individual who is exceeding expectations and driving innovation within their organisation.

The finalists for the 2025 Next CIO New Zealand Award are:

• Igor Gjorgjioski, Senior Product Lead, VicRoads

• Victor Raham, Head of IT, Atturra

• Rolf Samonte, Head of ICT & Cyber Security, Metro Trains Sydney

Igor Gjorgjioski is Senior Product Lead at VicRoads, spearheading digital transformation initiatives that serve millions of Victorians. His portfolio includes digital platforms, digital identity, passkey adoption, fraud reduction, and customer engagement solutions. He has presented at the FIDO Alliance Seminar on VicRoads’ journey to passkeys and is advancing projects such as mobile driver licences and customer identity. Previously at Block Inc. and NAB, Igor brings a proven record of product leadership across banking, government, and fintech.

Victor Raham, Head of IT at Atturra, leads strategic initiatives spanning cybersecurity, cloud optimisation, and enterprise IT governance. Passionate about security and reliability, he focuses on ensuring high performance and user satisfaction while leveraging his leadership and communication skills to foster a collaborative, agile culture that drives innovation and excellence.

Rolf Samonte is Head of ICT & Cyber Security at Metro Trains Sydney, with more than 15 years of experience in ICT and cyber security. In his current role, he has delivered transformative projects that have strengthened cyber resilience, modernised infrastructure, and embedded secure-by-design innovation.

The Next CIO Award winner will be revealed at the CIO50 and CSO30 Awards Gala Celebration at Doltone House, Sydney, on September 23.

CIO50 & CSO30 Awards Australia, produced by CIO & CSOonline – Foundry