Do you have a young female trailblazer in your midst that is performing well beyond her years? Is there a sales rep or a human relations specialist you deal with that has been on the job for just a couple of years but already works like a pro? Do you know a fierce young junior executive worthy of a little community adulation?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, Computer Dealer News (CDN) and ITWC want to know. Today the organizations launched the nomination process to find a young female dynamo who merits the title Rising Star.
Nominate your Rising Star here.
“We are looking for the young spark plug that fires up her team to drive business or improve the customer experience,” says Paolo Del Nibletto, Editor and Associate Publisher of CDN. “With the participation rate of women in IT stuck at 25 per cent for the past number of years, we’re anxious to shine the light on the next generation of leaders who will transform the channel and change that.”
Created by CDN and Ingram Micro Canada, the award honours a female channel player with less than six years experience. It is presented annually to ensure up-and-coming women in the channel are recognized for their important contributions.
2014 Rising Star winner Laura Wittig is flanked by CDN Editor Paolo Del Nibletto and Ingram Micro’s VP of Marketing Jennifer Johnson
And a little recognition goes a long way. The inaugural winner, Laura Wittig of Clear Concepts, stated the recognition has allowed her to to meet some extremely accomplished and interesting women.
“Many of them seemed to have journeys that started similarly to the way mine has started. It was a great reassurance to hear their stories (both successes and failures) and to see all of the incredible things that they are doing,” Wittig said.
“Events for women in channel, and awards like the Rising Star award, serve as a reminder that there is a larger network of support out there than we sometimes realize. I am happy to report that I am on track to far exceed my sales targets in 2016. I am also happy to have been connected with a network of fantastic women who have been available to answer my questions and offer their advice as I continue to grow and learn.”
Last year’s winner, Aoife McMonagle, director of marketing and communications at CDN Top 100 Solution Provider Scalar Decisions, said “the Rising Star Award is important because it gives women early in their IT career role models to aspire to.”
The criteria for the award are simple. A Rising Star is an internal champion, a person who works hard and well with others. She can be a person who vigorously supports a company or group initiative or brings a new innovative program to life. A rising Star constantly improves the quality of their company’s business or the industry as a whole.
A Rising Star is a young woman who:
- is an example to the rest of the organization or community
- offers insight on business or social responsibility issues
- demonstrates effectiveness through the workday
- encourages others to be the best
- believes in diversity in the workplace
- is a self-starter and a great teammate
- provides excellent customer service
- shows appreciation
- Makes a difference in the channel community
The award will be presented August 24 at the Women in the Channel luncheon. The nominations will be judged by the Canadian Channel Chiefs Council, Canada’s only non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the growth of channel professionals through education, research, events, and advocacy.