Meet Datacom's NZ finalists for WIICTA 2026

• Our finalists have been nominated across Innovation, Technical, Rising Star and Shining Star categories in this year’s Women in ICT Awards (WIICTA). 

• They have delivered tangible impact across major cloud, network and cyber security spaces. 

• These nominees champion confidence, ongoing learning and mentoring for women in ICT, encouraging others to stay curious and step outside their comfort zones. 

Five Datacom team members were nominated for this year's 2026 Women in ICT Awards (WIICTA) in New Zealand. Each of these women are excelling and showing leadership across a range of projects, from building AI-enabled tools to leading complex cloud and network programmes. Meet our nominees and finalists and find out about their paths into technology, what they’ve achieved and what they’ve learned along the way. 

Tammy-Lynn Jones  brings  22 years of tech industry experience to her nomination for the WIICTA Innovation Award, which recognises standout candidates who demonstrate creative thinking and an out-of-the-box approach to bringing innovation to life.  
 

Jones exemplified this by transforming early concerns about AI's impact on the Business Analyst role into a forward-thinking opportunity. Recognising that existing AI tools weren't purpose-built for business analysis, she initiated the development of the Business Analysis Accelerator, a platform that uses AI agents to support analysts in their day-to-day work.  
 

Working closely with her team, Jones guided the solution from design through to delivery, ensuring it addressed real customer challenges and practical needs. The results speak for themselves: clients have achieved savings of up to 70% in time and effort across key analysis activities. 

Her passion for technology goes back to childhood. "From a very young age I have absolutely loved technology – I was mesmerised when I saw my first robot. When computer games came along, I was keen to learn how they worked behind the scenes. I have always been creative and liked difficult problem-solving tasks.” 

Her advice to other women in ICT: "Be confident in yourself and your ability, voice your opinion. Some of the most capable Business Analysts, Developers and Testers I have met have been women." 

Minu Mathew, team leader of Managed Services here at Datacom, has been selected as a finalist for the WIICTA Technical Award. The nomination recognises her problem-solving abilities as well as her technical and engineering expertise. Mathew exhibits a deep knowledge of products and solutions while providing exceptional business value through specialised skills, training and competence.   
 

“I was initially drawn to the tech industry as I’ve always enjoyed problem-solving,” she says. Mathew’s enthusiasm for analytical thinking led to her study an engineering degree as well as a graduate diploma in IT and she completed an additional one-year networking course. Her commitment to expanding her technical knowledge is shown through her multiple advanced, industry-recognised certifications.  
 
Mathew began her career in a digital engineering role before transitioning into network engineering. Her expertise across network architecture, cybersecurity and enterprise infrastructure was displayed when she led the implementation of Datacom’s Customer Access Gateway. Another example of Mathew’s impact was her role in the network deployment for Datacom’s large-scale contact centre expansion.  

Regarding her finalist nomination, Mathew says, 'It's both humbling and an honour to be recognised as a finalist among such accomplished women.” 

Her advice to women in the ICT industry is to trust themselves and their skills. “Keep learning, ask questions and challenge yourself. Don’t let imposter syndrome hold you back – growth comes when you’re willing to step outside your comfort zone.”  

Sayali Waradpande, a Threat Intelligence Analyst, was drawn to tech through her background in industrial engineering, where she saw first-hand how technology can solve complex real-world problems. Early in her career, she became particularly interested in cybersecurity incident response and detection which appealed to her as she could combine analytical thinking with a proactive approach. She eventually landed in cyber threat intelligence as it involved understanding adversaries and turning that knowledge into actionable insights.  
  
Waradpande has been nominated as a finalist for the WIICTA Rising Star Award, which recognises a standout candidate rising through the ranks and acknowledges significant advancement during the early stages of their career. This nomination reflects Sayali's deep market expertise and high levels of professional integrity.  
  
Her reaction to receiving the Rising Star finalist nomination was one of surprise. “It's one of those moments where you pause and reflect on the journey that got you here. It felt incredibly affirming to have my contributions recognised – not just my own efforts, but the support of the amazing teams and mentors at Datacom who have championed me along the way.”  
  
Waradpande's advice to other women in the ICT industry is to stay curious, take on challenges and seek out mentors and sponsors who genuinely invest in your development. “Don't underestimate your unique perspective – it's a real strength in technology and security roles, so bring your whole self to the table.” 

Kellie Jordan, Programme Director of Cloud at Datacom, says she never intentionally considered a career in the tech sector – but that changed when she managed her first project in an IT programme. "I realised I enjoyed being involved in developing leading-edge tech and being challenged by the unknown."  
  
Fourteen years later, having found her home in the ICT industry, Jordan has orchestrated some significant achievements since joining Datacom in 2024. One of these was her leadership across multiple major programmes of work with a large government organisation, the Ministry of Social Development. This complex project involved a multi-year cloud transformation, moving the organisation from legacy infrastructure into a multi-cloud environment.  
 

Jordan, whose background is in marketing and communications, says she was “a little shocked” when she found out about her nomination. “I didn't think I'd make it through to the finalists, as I often see myself as someone whose main role is enabling others to be successful. I feel very humbled and grateful to be included among a group of such talented and amazing women.”  
 

Her advice for women in the ICT industry is to embrace every challenge and opportunity that comes your way, as you never know where it might lead. “Stepping out of your comfort zone can be hard at times, especially when you are a minority in the environment in which you work – but this is often where the biggest opportunities are. I've been very lucky to build great friendships with a number of highly talented and successful women in tech. Having these women to share a laugh with, ask for advice and receive support from has been a huge help in my career so far.” 

Helen Vu, Network Operations Manager at Datacom, says she was drawn to the tech industry through a love of problem-solving and a fascination with how systems connect and work together behind the scenes. After graduating from Auckland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Engineering Technology majoring in Networks, she began her networking career in 2006 as a Network Technician at Alta Corporation in Vietnam, building a strong technical foundation. She joined Datacom as a Network Engineer after migrating to New Zealand in 2008.  
 

Among her achievements at Datacom, Vu played a pivotal role in establishing Datacom's Australian Network Operations Centre (NOC), designing and operationalising a new capability to support customers across multiple time zones. Working cross-functionally, she helped define operating models, service processes and performance standards aligned with Datacom's managed services strategy.  
 

Vu says that being nominated was both rewarding and a reflection of the support she has received from her team and colleagues. For other women in the ICT industry, Vu's advice is to back yourself and not be afraid to step into opportunities, even when you feel unsure. “Stay open to learning and surround yourself with people who support your growth.”  
 

Datacom's Director of Operations ANZ, Sam Ereckson, describes Vu as a transformative leader who unites teams, empowers individuals and inspires future leaders and technical talent. “Her ability to balance deep technical expertise with inclusive, people-focused leadership has made a measurable difference for our customers across multiple sectors.”