The Crick's Chief Information Officer (CIO), Alison Davis, has been named the UK's CIO of the year at the Women in IT awards.
Alison was selected from a shortlist of top CIOs from a range of well-known businesses including Unilever, Barclays and the Financial Times.
"I am thrilled and humbled to have been selected as the winner of the award," says Alison. "I was hugely flattered to have even been shortlisted for this prize, especially as I have so much respect for the other women nominated. However, I consider this a team achievement, which recognises the hard work and support of my IT&S colleagues and the visibility of the whole Crick project. The judges particularly commented on the challenge of the 18 week migration period as something that impressed them, which was an activity that really showed the contribution of all of the IT&S teams working together. Of course, there are still plenty of challenges ahead as we aim to live up to the Crick's aspirations of being truly world-class."
Dr Sam Barrell, Chief Operating Officer of the Crick, says: "We are delighted that Alison has been recognised with this award. With the Crick moving in to a new, highly complex building, the smooth running of our systems has been vitally important. As a woman in IT, Alison also works hard to encourage and inspire more young women to explore this field as a career."
The winner of the CIO of the Year award was announced at the Women in IT reception dinner on 31 January. Alison attended the reception with some of her Crick colleagues and her children. She is actively involved with her local secondary schools and invited a couple of their sixth form girls who have a keen interest in IT to join her at the event.
"I want to help inspire and encourage young women to seriously think about going into IT as a career," says Alison. "When I was that age, I had no idea that I would end up going down this path but it has been enormously fulfilling and an amazing privilege to have had such wonderful opportunities. I hope that other women realise that it is a path they can pursue too, both for their own success and because it is vitally important that we continue to build all types of diversity across IT."
