GTIA unveils ANZ Spotlight Awards winners in Sydney

The Global Technology Industry Association has named the winners of its 2026 ANZ Spotlight Awards, which recognise individuals and organisations across the Australian and New Zealand IT channel.

The winners were announced at a joint ceremony in Sydney with the CRN Channel Awards Australia, the first time the two programmes have been presented together.

Among the individual recipients, Gerardo Barranquero, Chief Executive Officer at Avocado Consulting, received the Community Leadership Award for measurable impact over the past year through leadership, service and professional engagement.

Lynda Irving, Head of IT Delivery at CJI Systems, won the Future Leader Award, which honours a young professional for innovation, entrepreneurial success and industry impact. Jason Garland, Director at Secure Access IT, received the Cybersecurity Leadership Award.

Kristal Jamieson, Founder and Director at One Little Seed, received the Advancing Women in Technology Leadership Award, which recognises members who champion women in technology through their work in the association, the wider channel and their communities.

Company winners

Several businesses were also recognised for their work across the regional technology channel. One Little Seed won the Associate Member Award for its engagement with the GTIA community and its support for channel professionals across the region.

Crayon, a SoftwareOne company, won the Advancing Diversity in Technology Leadership Award. Sophos received the Innovative Vendor Award, while Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX company, took the Innovative Distributor Award.

Avocado Consulting received a second honour with the IT Service Provider Award, which recognises organisations in the services and managed services market for delivering technology services to customers.

The awards are intended to highlight commitment, innovation and leadership in the IT channel in Australia and New Zealand, while reflecting links between the regional market and the broader global technology ecosystem.

GTIA describes itself as a vendor-neutral non-profit membership body representing the worldwide IT channel. It says it represents hundreds of thousands of professionals from nearly 3,000 IT service providers, vendors, distributors and other companies in the sector.

Regional focus

The awards offer a snapshot of priorities across the channel, with categories covering community leadership, cybersecurity, diversity, women in technology, distribution, vendor activity and service provision. The mix of winners also reflects the breadth of the market, spanning individual executives, specialist firms, global vendors and distribution businesses.

Recognition for cybersecurity leadership went to Secure Access IT through Garland's award, while diversity and inclusion featured prominently through wins for Crayon and Jamieson. The results also highlighted the role of community-led organisations, with One Little Seed recognised both through its founder and as a business.

Avocado Consulting was another multiple winner, with Barranquero recognised individually and the company taking the IT Service Provider title, making it one of the most prominent names on this year's list.

In comments released alongside the awards, GTIA highlighted member engagement across the region as a key theme.

"Congratulations to all of this year's award recipients," said MJ Shoer, Chief Community Officer at GTIA. "Our members across ANZ continue to demonstrate genuine and enthusiastic engagement, innovation, and thought leadership both locally and on a global scale. It's a privilege to recognise their achievements over the past 12 months, and we thank them for the impact they've made on our community."