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Sarah Shields has been voted the first ever PCR Woman of the Year.
Dell UK’s executive director and general manager picked up the accolade at the award and networking event at Home House in London today (Friday, October 17th).
Industry execs gathered to celebrate female role models in the PC and tech business – and enjoy an afternoon of networking.
Shields said: "It’s an absolute honour, especially to be in a room full of such amazing women. And congratulations to everybody.
"I really am at a loss for words right now, but I think the best thing that I can do is to inspire all women to join IT.
"IT isn’t just about programming or hardcore selling – it’s actually one of the most rewarding and enjoyable careers a woman can get into and make a real difference. So thank you very much."
Male and female execs from the likes of Acer, Argos, BullGuard, Channel Assist, Computers Unlimited, Hama, Hannspree, Intel, Kingston, Mad Catz, Midwich, Novatech, Tech Data, Tesco, The IT Marketing Agency Westcoast, WD and more attended.
The event was organised following the success of PCR’s Top 50 Women in Tech article earlier this year, with Entatech on board as headline partner, and Acer and CompTIA both event partners.
Nancy Hammervik, CompTIA’s senior VP for industry relations, also gave a talk about the importance of women in IT.
"Today we are celebrating not just one exceptional winner, but a whole industry of extraordinary women, who have shown in no uncertain terms just what they can bring to the party," she said.
"With women representing just over half of the population, and the slight majority of university graduates, it is critical we leverage this powerful demographic to contribute and grow our industry."
PCR publisher Andrew Wooden added: "Thanks to everyone for coming down and attending today. We received nearly 1,000 votes, so it’s been incredibly popular, and it’s a great to be able to recognise a host of talented women working within the UK PC industry today."
