Rising star recognised as future CIO
Congratulations to Greater Western Water (GWW)’s Anafrid Bennet, who won the Next CIO award at the 2023 CIO50 Awards earlier this week.
Anafrid Bennet is GWW’s Head of Technology, Security and Property. She and Chief Operating Officer Michael Wootten travelled to Sydney last night for the award ceremony.
This inaugural award recognises those rising stars in Information & Communications Technology (ICT) roles. These individuals are on the path to senior leadership, exceeding expectations and helping drive innovation through their organisation.
Bennet is clearly a rising star. As well as creating and leading GWW’s cyber security strategy, she has been named a highly commended ‘One to Watch in IT Security’ by the Australian Women in Security Awards.
In their comments, the judging panel said that while all finalists had submitted standout entries, there could only be one winner.
“Anafrid Bennet is already displaying the leadership, technology, business, innovation and people skills to take her far in our industry. And like any great leader, she inspires others to excel and leads by example. If Anafrid is indicative of the next generation of CIOs and technology leaders, then our industry is in very safe hands.”
GWW’s Bennet humbled by award
Bennet said she was truly humbled and grateful for the recognition the award represents.
“It is a testament to the strong collaboration, hard work, and dedication of my current and past Technology & Security teams at GWW,” she said.
“I feel fortunate to work under exceptional leadership and be part of such a supportive and inspiring organisational culture. I am proud to have contributed to our collective success. I’m looking forward to continuing to serve our people and community with my colleagues, mentors, sponsors, and supporters.”
Michael Wootten said he was thrilled about Bennet’s well-deserved win.
“It reflects on the great work she has done in the cyber and tech space across GWW and how she goes about her work. The way she leads and builds relationships, and how she role models the GWW cultural ambition every day is excellent.”