2025 AI Leader of the Year

AI Leader of the Year 

This NEW award recognises the growing importance of artificial intelligence in shaping our digital future by celebrating a dedicated and innovative AI professional. This is an individual contributor category recognising Australia’s best female AI leaders who are driving innovation, solving complex problems, and influencing how AI is developed and adopted responsibly across industries.

This award is open to AI leaders working in startups, scaleups, or large organisations - whether they are founders, co-founders, or intrapreneurs who have created or significantly contributed to the development of AI products or initiatives with meaningful impact.

Eligibility Criteria 

The person eligible for this award must:
  • Identify as She/Her, She/They, or They/Them.
  • Reside in Australia.
  • Be working in a leadership role that is accountable for AI development, strategy, implementation, or governance. This includes but is not limited to founders, co-founders, technical leads, product owners, and intrapreneurs driving internal innovation.
  • Must have been involved from inception through to delivery, with responsibility for the final project output.
  • The project may have been completed in collaboration with others; however, the eligible person must have had significant ownership or input (over 50%) into the project.
  • The AI achievements described must have been delivered in the Australian market during the 24/25 Financial Year.

 Assessment Criteria 

What we are looking for in the entry:
  • Clear and concise communication of the problem at hand and how you have achieved your AI goals in the projects described.
  • Impact and effectiveness of the solution, including the ability to prioritise, assess requirements, deliver business or societal value swiftly, and use data to monitor key performance indicators.
  • Demonstrates technical depth and innovation in areas such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, or responsible AI.
  • Evidence of managing risks and ethical considerations associated with AI - such as bias, transparency, privacy, or regulatory compliance.
  • Demonstrates leadership qualities, ability to manage conflicting priorities, and influence the organisation’s approach to AI adoption, upskilling, or culture change. A positive role model who champions inclusive and responsible AI.
  • Bonus points for tackling complex environments involving large datasets, real-time decision-making, system integration, automation, or multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Tip: When responding to questions please provide as many numerical measures as possible - quantifying your success will help contextualise your submission for the industry judges.

Nomination Fee 

 To continue growing and elevating the Women in Digital Awards, this year we have introduced a fee of $199 per award nomination. If you are a Women in Digital Member, you receive one free nomination as part of your membership benefits! To access this benefit, entrants must be a confirmed Women in Digital member at the time of submission. You can find your exclusive discount code in the Member Portal. Not a member? Join today!

Nomination Questions

  1. Full Name (First and Last Name)
  2. Role Title
  3. Organisation
  4. Your LinkedIn URL
  5. Your Bio (150 words)
  6. Share the organisation's elevator pitch (50 words)
  7. Describe an AI project you led or significantly contributed to. What was the business problem you aimed to solve, and what made this project impactful? (200 words)
  8. Explain your role in the project, your key responsibilities, and how you worked with other stakeholders to achieve success. (150 words)
  9. Describe your approach to the project. Highlight the AI problem, risks faced, and the technology environment. What innovative methods or strategies did you use? (200 words)
  10. What were the key challenges in delivering the project? How did you address complexities, including areas like governance, integration, or advanced technologies (e.g., deep learning, ethical AI)? (300 words)
  11. Share the outcomes of the project and how they compared to the original goals. Include commercial impact, metrics of success, and other measurable results. (300 words)
  12. How do you innovate and evolve the business’s approach to AI development or implementation? (250 words)
  13. Please provide a link, document, or testimonial that highlights your contributions to the tech industry or gender equity.

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