CIO of the year, ICT recruiter named

Julia Raue says ICT is recognised across the entire Air New Zealand as critical to the business, and this plays a crucial role in their successful projects in the online space and customer self service that are earning accolades across the globe.

“IT-enabled business transformation has ensured Air New Zealand remains competitive, that is something we are incredibly proud of ” says Raue, who received the award at this year’s CIO Summit organised by CIO, IDC and BrightStar.

“We are starting to move into areas we have not been before.”

At the same event, Candle ICT collected the award for Excellence in ICT recruitment, sponsored by the Information Technology Contract and Recruitment Association (ITCRA).

The other finalists in the CIO of the Year award, sponsored by NetApp, were Allan Dornan, CIO, IAG New Zealand and Colin Smith, CIO, Manukau City Council.
“Our key business strategy is to focus on our customers —  ‘we fly people not planes’ — and so our IT output and efforts have reflected this,” says Julia, who also credits her team’s dedication and commitment.

“Strong relationships ensure we [IT] are incredibly close and closely aligned with our executive team and business stakeholders as they work through strategic imperatives and tactical projects,” she says.

She says the virtual and diverse teams composed of business and ICT members at Air New Zealand worked together to develop innovative products like grabaseat, ePass and myairnz that are not easily replicated by competitors.

On a personal note, Raue says, “I surely love my job. It is a great thing to wake up in the morning and not think I am going to work. I am going to do what I love.”

The recruitment award finalists were Robert Walters, Absolute IT, Neal Andrews & Associates and Candle ICT. Judging included a poll of CIOs to see which organisations they used for recruitment and how they were rated alongside a nominations process and in-depth interviews.

Judge Warwick Sullivan says the finalists were incredibly close and the judging was difficult. In the end, he says, Candle ICT showed operational excellence with a thorough basis of quality management underpinning their daily activity including a work-flow quality system with alerts and good performance reporting and frequent internal auditing.