Boluwatife Omosowon, a software engineer at JPMorganChase, took home the Rising Star Award, while Nicolette Robinson, an executive director at Morgan Stanley, won the Female Innovator Award.

Judges said Omosowon “consistently exceeds expectations in software engineering”. Among the many initiatives she is involved in, she has also become a Women Techmakers ambassador.

Robinson, who has worked with Morgan Stanley for 25 years, was praised by judges for being “granted a US patent, building and governing AI assets catalogue with security auditing”. She is also an active mentor, has published 140 articles and is an AI ambassador.

In a keynote address, WeAreTheCity founder and author of 404: Women Not Found, Vanessa Vallely, told guests at the Scottish Women in Technology Awards about the organisation’s 18 years of supporting women.

Vallely spent 25 years working across various banks, rising to chief operating officer before quitting to found WeAreTheCity in 2008, alongside its sister organisation WeAreTechWomen. The organisations have supported more than 80,000 women globally and helped more than 250,000 women gain new skills, confidence and networks.

The author also co-authored the Lovelace report, which highlighted a £2bn to £3.5bn annual gap to the UK economy caused by the underdevelopment and loss of female talent in technology.

At the event, she said: “To all of you who are nominated, I will tell you the same thing I tell all my ladies: do not whisper your wins. Whether you are nominated, whether you win or not, this is not something that we say in quiet passing. The fact you were nominated means people see your potential. They recognise you. That deserves to be put out there.”

She added: “You have as much responsibility to fix that order and hopefully initiate that as any of us do. So tomorrow your job is: how can I advocate? How do I open up a source of opportunity? How do I tell the story of a woman that is not in the room? How do I ensure that work is allocated and it’s not allocated on the basis of bias?”

The night also saw a former NHS medical physicist who now trains businesses in generative AI named Career Changer of the Year.

Clare Parry, co-founder and head of operations at Head for Data, collected her award in front of more than 400 guests at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel.

Judges praised her move from medical science into running a growing tech business, as well as her own upskilling in generative AI, which she now teaches through Business Gateway workshops.

The awards, now in their ninth year, celebrate people driving gender equality in Scottish tech, from those already in the sector to the next generation.

Removing barriers to entry was a big theme of the night, as Edinburgh computing teacher Jack Walker from St George’s was named Gender Diversity Ally of the Year. He was applauded by judges for “bringing industry partners in through his own network, working with charity and education partners, and deliberately inviting schools in areas of high deprivation”.

Sheryl Newman, founder of Appetite for Business, was named Inspirational Woman of the Year. Judges noted that she “came into tech without a degree” and has been a role model in the Scottish tech ecosystem for more than 25 years.

Recognition was also given to individuals from organisations including Freshworks, Morgan Stanley, 2i and JPMorganChase during the evening. Organisational awards were handed out to Leidos and Ada Scotland Festival.

Silka Patel, founder and chair of Scotland Women in Technology, said: “There’s a lot of anxiety about what AI means for people’s careers. Tonight’s winners show the opposite: talent is coming into the tech sector from classrooms, hospitals and everywhere in between. I’m especially inspired by those who make time to mentor and support others, both inside Scottish tech and on its edges.”

Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education Alyn Smith said: “I congratulate all the nominees and award winners who show a breadth of involvement in the technology sector, from the classroom to the boardroom.

“The inspirational stories we’ve heard at the SWiT Awards demonstrate why the Scottish Government champions gender equality across Scotland, recognising the vital contribution women make to our dynamic, innovative and forward-looking nation. Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy provides a clear roadmap to create the conditions for businesses, entrepreneurs and researchers to thrive, creating sustainable economic growth and strengthening our competitiveness on the global stage.”

Full list of winners

- Rising Star Award, sponsored by Flow: Boluwatife Omosowon, Software Engineer, JPMorganChase

- Career Changer of the Year Award, sponsored by Leidos: Clare Parry, Co-founder and Head of Operations, Head for Data

- Mentor of the Year Award, sponsored by FanDuel: Andrea Rosales
  - Highly Commended: Linda Scott

- Diversity Initiative of the Year Award, sponsored by The Data Lab: Ada Scotland Festival
  - Highly Commended: Education Academy Scotland

- Inclusive Recruiter of the Year, sponsored by Bright Purple: Leidos

- Everyday Leader Award, sponsored by JPMorganChase: Natalie Nicholas, Channel Lead, Freshworks (formerly Dropbox)

- Unsung Hero Award, sponsored by Tesco Insurance and Money Services: Sowmya Ramesh, Customer Success Manager, 2i

- Inspirational Woman of the Year Award, sponsored by Harvey Nash: Sheryl Newman, Founder, Appetite for Business

- Female Innovator Award, sponsored by Avaloq: Nicolette Robinson, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

- Gender Diversity Ally of the Year Award, sponsored by 2i: Jack Walker, Lead Teacher of Computing, St George’s

The 2026 awards were sponsored by Morgan Stanley as headline sponsor and Royal Bank of Scotland as gold sponsor.