Making a difference: CPS’ Gemma Hyde, IT Leader of the Year 2024
‘There's so many exciting things that we're doing to make a difference’
IT Leader of the Year is the most coveted prize at the UK IT Industry Awards, celebrating the country’s top CIOs, CTOs and more.
This year, for the first time in the awards’ history, both the winner and highly commended were women, both of whom showcased truly outstanding work and leadership.
Not only that, but both were in the public sector – another first!
At the awards on the 13th November in London, winner Gemma Hyde of the Crown Prosecution Service said the announcement was “absolutely amazing” and “really unexpected.”
“Really this is all down to my team,” she added. “I'm really pleased to make a difference for the society that we live in.”
She said the win was "a great thing for me and for the success of my team, because I couldn't do any of this without the team that I work with. So, thanks to them, really.”
In their comments, the judges remarked that Gemma had fostered a remarkable culture of innovation in her team, driven by her passion and commitment to ethical leadership.
By focusing on trust, she has created an environment where challenges are welcomed to achieve the best results; and her leadership has led to significant, measurable impact.
Events like the UK IT Industry Awards are "really important, because it gives an opportunity to celebrate the success,” Gemma said.
“Often, still, success in IT is something not going wrong - but actually there's so many exciting things that we're doing to make a difference for our society.”
And despite both Gemma and her highly commended partner - Gayathri Shyamsundar of the Financial Conduct Authority – being women, she noted there is still more to do to make sure the IT industry is truly equal.
“Tonight I've seen a good number of women up on stage, but not enough. So, if you're a woman and you're interested in IT, please come join us. We need more diversity in the sector, still - but it's a really vibrant place to be.”