New Zealand’s Reseller News will be hosting its awards ceremony for the 8th Woman in ICT Awards (WIICTA) in early October.

We are thrilled to announce that our managing director Nicky Blackmore has been selected as a finalist for the showpiece D&I CHAMPION Award.

The UPS Power Solutions team collaborated to assemble Nicky’s award submission without her knowledge and are delighted that she didn’t find out until receiving the announcement of finalists last month.

Corporate sales manager Sam Lingman, led the team effort supported by corporate account manager Jenny McKay. Lingman says that it presented a perfect opportunity to recognise the skills and efforts of someone who has always naturally led the UPSPS team to great success with her ‘people-first’ approach.

“We don’t believe there is anyone more deserving of this award than Nicky because the qualities sought in a diversity & inclusion champion are the core aspects on which she consistently operates. She has built a values-based culture that empowers people to grow their skills and be recognised every day,” he says.

The diversity & inclusion champion award recognises an influential individual who actively drives diversity and inclusion initiatives through mentoring and thought leadership across the ICT industry. This candidate acts as a role model for aspiring executives, cultivating diverse teams to drive change both internally and externally. This award is open to all aspects of diversity and inclusion (gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation etc)

Lingman points out that Nicky’s commitment to training, mentoring and coaching is evident in her management team, with the Corporate Sales Manager, Engineering Manager, Company Accountant and Operations Manager all being promoted from within the organisation.

“Nicky’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion has been visible throughout her career and she has delivered on it consistently. It is rare to have a female leader in the niche IT power sector and it is even more rare that the team is over 40% female. Nicky’s approach to business provides a positive example, and proof of the rewards that come with it, for all organisations that engage with UPSPS,” he says.

An excellent illustration of this successful people-first approach is one of Nicky’s most inclusive creations - The Helping Hands Initiative. Launched in 2019 and championed by Nicky ever since, Helping Hands was set up to recognise the communities in which UPSPS’s customers and staff live, work and play. Not necessarily a charitable fund, Helping Hands is a vehicle to empower and support staff to make a difference for causes that resonate with them. By taking this approach, support is delivered authentically and directly.

Nicky Blackmore says that this nomination by her team is a true validation of her people-first approach and evidence that across the business, people feel empowered, appreciated and valued.

“The trick has always been to find people that can contribute value and empower them to do so, no matter who they hug at night, which decade they were born in, what sign is on the door of the bathroom they feel most comfortable using or even which super rugby team they support,” she says.

Blackmore says that reading the nomination was an excellent chance to reflect on her 21-year journey building UPS Power Solutions, highlighting that so many of her team has been with her for a large portion of that time and have added their own valuable touches to a business she is very proud of.

“My deepest thanks go to my wonderful team who have made it a pleasure to go to work every day for many years. They are well aware that surprises aren’t my favourite, but this one is a real privilege and my hope is that it can help show all businesses the value of putting people first,” she says.

The Woman in ICT Awards will be presented on the 2nd of October in Auckland. Nicky Blackmore will join 94 other finalists from over 50 organisations. To learn more about the awards and this year’s finalists click here