Foodstuffs South Island wins top customer innovator award

Trend Micro has awarded Foodstuffs South Island the Customer Innovator Award for its integration of cybersecurity within its digital strategies.

Foodstuffs South Island, part of New Zealand's leading grocery group, was recognised at Trend Micro's 2024 Customer Awards, an event that celebrates various organisations across industries for their advancements in cybersecurity innovation. This recognition puts the spotlight on the importance of cybersecurity in strengthening business resilience and supporting industry leadership.

Richard Harrison, CISO Head of Cyber & Technology Risk at Foodstuffs South Island, expressed his enthusiasm for the recognition: "We are committed to excellence in cybersecurity and proactively addressing the evolving threat landscape. Being recognised with the awards is an honour. This achievement is a testament to the creativity, dedication, and hard work of our entire team, in close collaboration with the team at Trend. Our strong partnership has empowered us to push boundaries and tackle new challenges, resulting in meaningful improvements for Foodstuffs South Island. We're thrilled that the broader community can benefit as well. We look forward to future opportunities for continued innovation."

The 2024 awards, according to Trend Micro, highlight the pivotal role of cybersecurity in protecting digital environments across sectors such as healthcare, telecommunications, education, energy, and financial services. The winners have set new benchmarks for cybersecurity resilience and digital innovation across their respective industries.

Florian Zeeb, Director of Global Information Security at Dole, noted the company's emphasis on information security: "Information Security is a high priority for Dole, and a robust IT infrastructure is essential for protecting our digital assets and preserving our reputation and competitive advantage. We take pride in our innovative use of technology and our partnership with Trend Micro, which enable us to strengthen the security of our people and assets daily. This collaboration empowers our business to thrive securely in the digital age."

The award also celebrated other organisations for their specific achievements. Stuart Samples, Chief Technology Officer for Northeast Georgia Health System, commented on the industry's recognition through the awards: "This award is an incredible accomplishment for our organisation. These awards were created to recognise and acknowledge the organisations and companies who have exceeded expectations within the industry. The Innovator Award is presented to Trend Micro customers who take their unique challenges and go beyond the standard use of technology, pushing the limits to be innovative and benefit the greater community. At NGHS, our innovation has resulted in solving new problems and improving processes—for our staff and our patients."

Fatima Djoubar, VP of IT security at Accor, encouraged a proactive approach: "Be bold in your decisions; cyber resilience isn't just a checkbox, it's a culture."

Srujan Talakokkula, Managing Director at Trend Micro, ANZ, Commercial, underlined the strategic forward-thinking adopted by the 2024 award winners: "Our 2024 award winners demonstrate a forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity that goes beyond protection—it's about empowering growth, enabling innovation, and shaping the future of their industries. We are dedicated to supporting these organisations by promoting partnerships and sharing knowledge, ensuring that together, we can build a resilient and secure digital world."

The list of 2024 award categories also includes the Visionary Award, Excellence Award, Cybersecurity Leader Award, and Ambassador Award, each recognising different aspects of cybersecurity achievements and leadership across industries.