Boots Ireland and Savenet Solutions take categories recognising individuals and teams shaping processes and technology
Trade
The Tech Excellence Awards returns to the Royal Marine Hotel Dun Laoghaire on 14 May 2026.
In 2025, the CIO of the year award went to Michelle Kearns of Boots Ireland for her leadership in fostering sustainable impact, growth, and inclusivity. Her approach was considered by the independent judging panel to be instrumental in the pharmacy chain’s digital transformation, allowing it to effectively address increasing patient needs and improve both colleague and customer experiences.
Kearns’ blend of technical excellence, strategic clarity, and unwavering dedication to personnel and objectives distinguished her as a distinguished CIO.
“Hearing my name announced was surreal,” said Kearns. “My first thought was actually about the team. A CIO award is never an individual achievement; it reflects the people who deliver resilience on difficult days and transformation on the rest.”
She continued: “What it meant most to me was recognition that the CIO role was fundamentally changed. We’re no longer just custodians of IT – we are partners in business strategy, growth, and decision-making. Technology now underpins how organisations operate, serve customers and compete.”
IT architect of the year
The IT architect of the year category recognises an outstanding project undertaken by an individual or team. In 2025 Lorcan Cunningham, CTO, Savenet Solutions, picked up the award.
Cunningham was recognised for a major project involving the successful migration of Savenet’s cloud services, the redesign of the architecture, and the maintenance of security and compliance standards.
For more on this year’s Tech Excellence Awards click here. The closing date for entries is 3 April.