BILF CxO of the Year, Women Business Leaders award winners
The NetEvents Global Media & CxO Summit in California saw two prestigious awards presented to high-achievers in the industry for their contributions over the past year.
The Business Innovation Leaders Forum (BILF) CxO of the Year award acknowledges exceptional leadership in tech innovation, strategy and execution.
This year's winner is Pavan Pidugu, Chief Technology Officer at FMCSA, an agency in the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Pidugu received the award for his outstanding leadership in pioneering digital transformation within the organisation, supporting Motor Carrier Safety.
He has incorporated platform and hardware independence into FMCSA's digital toolkit, which it provides to millions of commercial vehicle drivers, hundreds of thousands of motor carriers, and more than 12,000 federal and state enforcement authorities.
Pidugu has a background in retail and international markets, having run IT for big industry names, including Walmart and Target.
As a result, he is experienced in quickly providing innovative tech to meet ever-changing business demands and customer expectations.
"Managing the strategy and execution of digital transformation for a large, complex operation such as the US Department of Transport (FMCSA) is quite an undertaking," says Mark Fox, CEO, NetEvents.
"Pavan's impressive IT background, as well as the scale and responsibility of his role, make him a very worthy winner of this award. We are pleased to be able to honour him."
In addition, the event saw the award for Women Business Leaders presented to Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of Presence.
This award also recognises exceptional leadership in tech innovation, strategy and execution.
Walker is a highly accomplished education industry leader and author who won this year's award for her exceptional work as the CEO of Presence, a leading provider of teletherapy solutions for children with diverse needs.
She has more than 20 years of experience driving growth at high-profile education companies and has created value through strategic acquisitions, tech innovation and cultural transformation.
Walker's remote workforce at Presence comprises mostly women and has delivered more than five million teletherapy sessions throughout 45 states.
Walker is also an author, having published her book, The Good Boss, which offers valuable advice for women in the workplace.
Further, Walker is a contributor at Fast Company and Forbes, also serving on a range of education-focused boards.
"We are delighted Kate has been awarded the Women Business Leaders award. Her dedication and commitment to work in education and wellbeing, utilising technology to facilitate teletherapy to children in need of such services, is remarkable and to be admired," Fox says.
"Her philosophy that technology should enhance human connection is something we believe in and is one of the main challenges facing IT professionals today.
"She shines a spotlight on the importance of technology delivering vital services, hybrid working and empowering women in the workplace."
Walker was unable to attend this year's award ceremony so Professor Martin Curley, Digital Transformation and Open Innovation Director at Health Service Executive, accepted the award on her behalf.
"I know fellow Business Innovation Leaders board members found choosing the [winners] a difficult task. The finalists are a group of exceptionally talented and focussed professionals and we thank all finalists and winners for being a part of NetEvents 2023."
