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techUK celebrates digital innovators through the President’s Award 2024

3 July 20244 min read
techUK

[LONDON, UK] 3 July 2024: On 2 July 2024, the technology trade association techUK announced the winners of the President’s Award at its Annual Dinner, in the presence of 650 representatives of the tech industry, including techUK members, the award’s shortlist, policymakers, and stakeholders.

The President’s Award nominations were presented by techUK President Sheila Flavell CBE and Deputy President Dr Nicola Hodson to celebrate outstanding individuals within the techUK membership who are going above and beyond to use technology for good in four different categories:

  • People: someone who is making a demonstrable impact on well-being, upskilling and diversity and inclusion

  • Economy: someone who is enabling improvements, mitigating risk, protecting funds, facilitating advancements in financial planning and supporting the growth of the economy

  • Society: someone who is enabling society, from micro to macro, to work better, live better, interact better, enable growth and deliver value

  • Planet: someone who, from small interventions to large-scale innovations, is helping to protect and nurture the planet we live on.

The winners are:

  • People category: Chris Whitehouse, Customer Experience Director, Collaboraite

Chris has developed a tool called Welfare Assist to protect the welfare of online investigators exposed to graphic and disturbing images within defence and law enforcement. He is an advocate for using data-driven tools to mitigate exposure to harmful content to protect investigators’ mental well-being, whilst enabling the collection of intelligence vital to a successful investigation. 

  • Economy category: Toby Jones, CEO, TJC

Toby created the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) for the UK Home Office, lowering the barrier to entry for SMEs wanting to engage in impactful public sector projects. This has provided government with access to cutting-edge technology capabilities and expertise whilst fostering SME growth, sector expansion, and new product development. His impact has been transformative, earning recognition from the OECD as a prime example of public sector innovation.

  • Society category: Jennifer Neff, Managing Director, Access Elemental

Jennifer has had a pioneering role in transforming community wellbeing. She has built an award-winning tech-for-good company, Access Elemental, that supports over 20 million people across the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Her work addresses key social determinants of health including debt, housing, and loneliness, while also reducing the demand on health and social care services. Her efforts have showcased the potential for tech-for-good excellence in deprived areas, creating jobs and fostering social innovation.

  • Planet category: Eric Zie, CEO and Founder, GoCodeGreen

Eric has an outstanding passion and motivation for promoting sustainability in the digital sector. He is the founder of GoCodeGreen, a UK SME that is now recognised around the world as a leader in the decarbonisation of technology and digital products. His work has helped to identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions and energy usage, and lower costs in the UK private and public sectors. GoCodeGreen is now extending its impact, working with less developed nations on their digital transformation pathways, identifying opportunities to shape strategies for a cleaner, sustainable digital future. 

Sheila Flavell CBE, President of techUK and COO of FDM Group, said:

“The people celebrated tonight are true visionaries of the power that technology can have as a force for good. We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of these exceptional people within our member companies who are going above and beyond to demonstrate the role digital innovation can have on people, society, the economy and the planet.”

Dr Nicola Hodson, Deputy President of techUK and Chief Executive for UK and Ireland at IBM, said:

“We continue to be impressed by the quality of submissions we receive for the President’s Award. This year’s winners are a clear demonstration of the outstanding work of techUK members in leveraging technology to bring positive change at scale.

“We look forward to continue showcasing our members’ innovative work and the transformative potential of technology in the years to come.”

Notes to Editors

techUK’s President’s Award webpage

Shortlist:

People category:

  • Chris Whitehouse, Customer Experience Director, Collaboraite – WINNER

  • Katherine Ellis, Gender Inclusion Lead, STEM Learning

  • Dimple Khagram, Founder and CEO, Purple Beard

Economy category

  • Toby Jones, CEO, TJC – WINNER

  • Ben Johnson, Chief Technology Office and Co-Founder, Uptitude

  • Andrew Beverley, CEO, Ctrl O

Society category:

  • Jennifer Neff, Managing Director, Access Elemental – WINNER

  • Louise Wall, Managing Director, e18 Innovation

  • Richard Baylow, COO and EPR Practice Lead, St Vincent’s Consulting

Planet category:

  • Eric Zie, CEO and Founder, GoCodeGreen

  • James Hall, Head of GreenOps, Greenpixie

  • Harriet Pugh, Design Lead, TPXimpact