it@cork Leaders Awards winners announced

Tech industry stalwarts recognised for contributions to southwest tech sector

Trade

L to R: Jerry Sweeney, CIX; Catherine Halpin, VMWare; Padraig Curran, Grid Beyond and Laura Hughes, McAfee.

21 October 2019

Winners of the 2019 it@cork Leaders Awards have been revealed. Now in its 14^th year, the awards celebrate those leading the charge for the southwest tech community, have been revealed.

The ceremony took place at the Rochestown Park Hotel, Friday, 18 October. This year’s theme was ‘Towards 2020,’ as a nod to both previous winners and present and future leaders.

Shemas Eivers and Teddy McCarthy, founders and leaders of Client Solutions Ireland, the National Software Centre and Boole Investment Syndicate received the Tech Person of the Year Award.

Presenting the award, Gillian Bergin, vice chair of it@cork said: “The winners of this year’s Tech Person of the Year Award are true pioneers and have shown tenacity, intelligence and integrity in their approach to their work and tonight we acknowledge their exceptional achievements.”

Principal Liam Begley from Mayfield Community School was the recipient of the Trend Micro Excellence in Education Award for outstanding technological initiatives. Begley noted that the €5,000 prize money will go towards acquiring new equipment and developing inclusive STEM programs.

Addressing attendees on the night, Anthony O’Callaghan, chair of it@cork said: “Diversity – inclusion – innovation – these are not just buzz words. They are practices that shine through the work of the companies celebrated here tonight – companies that are touch stones of best practice and innovation for the region, and that will no doubt continue to inspire future generations to come.

“Cork’s tech sector truly has its finger on the pulse and is buzzing in terms of investment, activity and promise. There’s no doubt that we have a lot to be proud of and to develop further into the future.”

“Every year these awards provide us with an opportunity to recognise and reward the invaluable contribution both the businesses and individuals involved make to the southwest region – and to the IT sector as a whole in Ireland,” said Tanaiste Simon Coveney, speaking at the gala dinner.

“Each and every one of the candidates nominated here tonight are worthy of this recognition, without them, the region would not be the thriving IT hub it is today.”