Founders and CEOs often take much of the headlines and attention, but now chief information officers are getting a bit of the spotlight.
The national membership organization InspireCIO Leadership Network unveiled the winners of its inaugural National CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards, highlighting leadership and value creation through technology and innovation. And a Dallas executive is joining the honorees.
Joan Kuehl, executive VP and CIO at Fort Worth-based credit solutions firm Elevate, was named the winner of the corporate category, which looks at businesses with up to $1 billion in annual revenue. Kuehl joined the Elevate team in 2016, having previously served in a similar role at insurance provider Travelers.
According to Simply Wall St., Elevate, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ELVT, saw its share prices rise 135 percent over the last year, with an earnings per share growth rate of 97 percent in that same time. Launched in 2005, Elevate said that, along with banks licensing its technology services, it had originated $9 billion in non-prime credit to more than 2.5 million consumers since then.
There were eight categories for the inaugural National CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards, including ranging from “super global” firms with more than $16 billion in annual revenue to company’s like Elevate, with up to $1 billion. Other categories included CIOs in health care organizations and nonprofits. Winners were selected based on effective leadership and management, business value driven by tech innovation and engagement with the broader industry and community.
Check out the other inaugural National CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards winners below.
- Super Global winner: Mamatha Chamarthi, CIO at automotive company Stellantis
- Global winner: Donie Lochan, CTO at investment management firm Invesco
- Large Enterprise winner: Kristie Grinnell, Global CIO, chief supply chain officer and VP of IT and supply chain at defense and aerospace company General Dynamics Information Technology
- Enterprise winner: Michael Mathews, CIO and senior VP at payment solutions company Deluxe
- Large Corporate winner: Usman Waheed, chief information and technology officer at furniture company Knoll
- Healthcare winner: Craig Richardville, senior VP and chief information and digital officer at nonprofit health system SCL Health
- Nonprofit/Public Sector winner: Tanya Hannah, CIO for King County, Wa.
