Our 2024 winners have generously shared their top tip for completing nominee entries.

Follow their advice and maybe you will be a winner this year...

Winner of Role Model of the Year

Elizabeth Excell, Data Engineering Manager, Lloyds Banking Group

Don’t undersell yourself! Think about everything you’ve achieved in the past year, not just the big-ticket items but the ways you went above and beyond to support mentees or any initiatives you’re a part of. Describe times where you pushed yourself outside your comfort zone and the projects that couldn’t have succeeded without you, using figures where you can to support the story you’re telling.

Winner of Digital Leader of the Year

Lindsay Jessup, CEO, Geeks

Lead with why: the real ‑ world change your work sparks for people or the planet. In one line spell out the outcome, then back it up with a sharp metric and a quick story. Use active verbs, plain English, and your own voice. Purpose, proof, and personality outshine pages of buzzwords.

Winner of IT Leader of the Year

Wendy Marshall, Lead Technical Consultant, Rackspace Technology

If possible, find out who nominated you and the reasons behind it. Connecting with past nominees and winners within your organisation can offer valuable insights and guidance. Set aside enough time to draft and refine your responses and seek your manager's feedback. When describing your achievements, highlight their broader impact on the organisation or customers, using relevant data points to bring your story to life.

Winner of Emerging Tech Champion of the Year

Asha Easton, Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network Lead, Innovate UK

Be as thorough and specific as possible when outlining your achievements—don’t be afraid to showcase your impact. Use data and tangible outcomes to back up your contributions. It’s also really powerful to include endorsements, so reach out to colleagues, collaborators, or mentors for recommendations. Their insights can highlight your value from another perspective and strengthen your nomination. Don’t undersell yourself—this is your moment to shine!

Winner of Team Leader of the Year

Gabi Talbot, Lead Agile Delivery Manager, Costa Coffee

My advice for anyone writing a Women in Tech Excellence award submission is to tap into your network for inspiration. Often, others will see strengths and achievements in you that you might overlook. Don’t hesitate to ask them for input or examples—they can help you to shape a more compelling story which makes for a stronger submission. And before you hit submit, ask a few trusted peers to review your nomination. A fresh perspective can make all the difference.  Good luck! 

Winner of Role Model of the Year

Amanda Dahl, Deputy Director, Government Digital Service

When writing your entry, focus on demonstrating well-rounded impact beyond just technical achievements. While highlighting your major product launches and technical successes is important, consider your broader contributions to workplace culture and community building. This might be things like mentoring, leading ERGs, diversity efforts, anti-bullying or other cultural improvements. Think about how you create positive change across multiple dimensions (technical, leadership development, people/pastoral care and creating inclusive environments, etc). Be authentic about your genuine contributions and show how you've made a lasting difference for both technology and the people around you.

Winner of Founder/Entrepreneur of the Year

Sophie Carr, Founder and Owner, Bays Consulting

Remember that you have an amazing story to tell so take time to make sure that it is clear, concise and stands out by focusing on impact and what you have achieved.   Judges will be reviewing a lot of entries so avoid using jargon so they can understand your story and be inspired by what you’ve achieved.  Lastly, don’t be shy – make sure you highlight the impact your work has had!

Winner of Rising Star of the Year

Chloe Tartan, Technology Sustainability Manager, Accenture

When my award was announced last year, the host said, “the numbers speak for themselves” – and that stuck with me! My top tip for entrants this year: don’t worry about sounding polished, focus on evidence and add context where it helps tell your story. Connecting past and present achievements shows how far you’ve come and what drives you. The numbers show what you did; the context shows why it matters.

Winner of Woman of the Year

Christine Theodore, IT Director, Admiral Group PLC

My top tip is to use specific examples with clear outcomes. Instead of general statements, highlight key achievements – concrete results make your impact tangible and helps judges to understand your contribution.

Winner of Security Professional of the Year

Eve Grisenthwaite, Cyber Security Assurance Manager, Accenture UK Ltd.

• Clearly demonstrate the impact that you have as a Woman in Tech through using real world examples and explaining the importance of these activities to the industry, your organisation, your clients, etc.
• Ask colleagues, coaches and mentors at different levels to review your submission and help refine the narrative.
• Request and be prepared for direct feedback – it helps. Connect with others and ask them to describe your impact. I found this a very affirming activity.
• Use mixed media in your submission, for example video recordings of others describing your impact. This helps others consume and understand the content of your submission.
• Most importantly, believe that you absolutely deserve to be recognised for your impact. You are undoubtedly inspiring and supporting others in ways you don’t even realise and helping drive acknowledgement of the value diversity brings to our industry.