GTIA names finalists for 2026 ANZ Spotlight Awards
Tue, 25th Aug 2026 (Today)
GTIA has named the finalists for its 2026 ANZ Spotlight Awards, which recognise individuals and member organisations in the IT channel across nine categories.
The finalists span personal and company awards, with nominees from vendors, distributors, service providers and specialist channel businesses across Australia and New Zealand. The programme highlights leadership and innovation among members active in the regional channel community.
Individual finalists are Stu Applegate of ConnectWise, Gerardo Barranquero of Avocado Consulting, Nathan Chau of Crayon, a SoftwareOne company, Naina Dasgupta of Sophos, Diana Drury of Dijital Team, James Eling of Extreme Networks, Luke Fong of Lateral Plains, Jason Garland of Secure Access IT, Demetrios Georgiou of Coro, Warwick Grey of Fabric Brand Partners, Lynda Irving of CJI Systems, Kristal Jamieson of One Little Seed, Chris Jeffery of CyberGuru IT, Nicole Peatey of Secure Access IT, Oscar Settle of ConnectWise, Melissa Spencer of ConnectWise, Ksenia Turner of Crayon, a SoftwareOne company, and Devi van Aalst of Williams Technology.
Organisation finalists are Acronis, Avocado Consulting, Bluechip Infotech, CJI Systems, ConnectWise, Coro, Crayon, a SoftwareOne company, Dijital Team, eNerds, Fabric Brand Partners, Hosted Network, Ingram Micro, IT Events Australia, One Little Seed, ONGC Systems, Pit Stop Technologies, Sophos, Tech Data, a TD Synnex company, and Uptake Digital.
Award categories
The nine categories recognise both individual and organisational contributions to the channel: Future Leader Award, Advancing Women in Technology Leadership Award, Community Leadership Award, Cybersecurity Leadership Award, Advancing Diversity in Technology Leadership Award, Associate Member Award, Innovative Distributor Award, Innovative Vendor Award and IT Service Provider Award.
The Future Leader Award is aimed at a young professional at an active member organisation who has shown success or originality as an entrepreneur or made a clear industry impact. The Advancing Women in Technology Leadership Award recognises a member who leads in the industry, supports women in technology and serves as a role model with a positive impact on individuals and their organisation.
The Community Leadership Award recognises an individual from an active member organisation who has shown strong service and impact through work that supports GTIA and the wider IT industry. The Cybersecurity Leadership Award is for a member who has shown dedication and leadership in improving cybersecurity resilience across the GTIA community over the past year.
On the company side, the Advancing Diversity in Technology Leadership Award is for a member organisation that actively promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and has a positive impact on careers and workplaces. The Associate Member Award applies to organisations that provide services to the technology ecosystem, including firms in finance, law, sales, marketing, consulting, academia, training, media and not-for-profit technology bodies.
The Innovative Distributor Award and Innovative Vendor Award each recognise a business that can demonstrate an innovative approach that changed either the organisation or the wider industry. The IT Service Provider Award is open to member organisations operating as solution providers, managed service providers or other technology services businesses serving end customers.
Selection process
Nominees were assessed on their impact on the technology industry, support for the association's mission and leadership in their respective category. The judging panel included executive council members from the Benelux, North America, and UK and Ireland regions, along with members of GTIA advisory councils.
GTIA said that structure was intended to support the integrity and objectivity of the selection process. The association represents nearly 3,000 IT service providers, vendors, distributors and other channel companies worldwide, covering hundreds of thousands of professionals.
MJ Shoer, Chief Community Officer at GTIA, commented on the shortlist after the finalists were confirmed.
"We're proud to honour our finalists for their contributions to GTIA and the IT channel this year, chosen by a selection committee of fellow members from around the world," said MJ Shoer, Chief Community Officer at GTIA.
"Congratulations to all - I can't wait to celebrate with everyone in Sydney," Shoer said.