The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) Announces Technology Executive of the Year Award Finalists

Executives from Accenture, Red Hat, Citrix and the City of Charlotte make the list. One will be selected through an online poll (People’s Choice) for prestigious award

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA), the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina, today announced finalists for the Technology Executive of the Year - People’s Choice Award. This annual award honors a North Carolina technology executive who has demonstrated leadership and achieved industry success over the past year. It is the only award determined by popular vote, and will be presented at the annual NCTA 21 Awards Gala on November 8 where 800 leaders are expected.

“The winner of this award will join the ranks of North Carolina’s most accomplished technology leaders. We encourage both members and non-members to vote for the executive who they feel best personifies excellence and achievement over the past 12 months”

NCTA received an impressive number of nominations and this year’s finalists include:

• Sharon Allan, Accenture: As a senior executive with Accenture’s utilities industry group, Sharon Allan leads the smart grid practice for North America. She was named one Smart Grid’s three most powerful women in 2010.
• Lee Congdon, Red Hat: As Chief Information Officer, Lee Congdon is responsible for Red Hat’s global information systems, including the technology strategy, enterprise architecture, information technology governance and systems operations supporting the company.
• Jesse Lipson, Citrix (formerly ShareFile): Jesse Lipson founded ShareFile in 2005 and in just over 6 years helped the company grow to almost 20,000 corporate customers. ShareFile was acquired by Citrix Systems in October, 2011.
• Jeff Stovall, City of Charlotte: As Charlotte’s first Chief Information Officer, Jeff Stovall is responsible for the overall business planning of all technology systems relative to the city’s strategic goals. Jeff was instrumental in preparing the city’s technology infrastructure to successfully host the Democratic National Convention.

Voting opens today and runs through October 17, 2012. The public is encouraged to vote by visiting the Association’s website: www.nctechnology.org.

“The winner of this award will join the ranks of North Carolina’s most accomplished technology leaders. We encourage both members and non-members to vote for the executive who they feel best personifies excellence and achievement over the past 12 months,” said Brooks Raiford, NCTA’s President & CEO.

Past winners include Keith Luedeman, goodmortgage.com (2011), Mark Munday, Elster Solutions (2010) and Michael Capps, Epic Games (2009).

The winner will be announced and recognized at the Association’s annual awards gala, presented with title sponsor Grant Thornton on Thursday, November 8 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham, N.C.

About NCTA

The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) is a not-for-profit, membership-driven trade association and the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina. NCTA is the intersection of leadership and technology, fueling the growth of North Carolina through Executive Engagement, Public Affairs, and a Knowledge Workforce. For more information, visit our website at www.nctechnology.org.