Energia Group is delighted to announce that Catherine Gardiner, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Customer Solutions & Technology, has been honored with the CIO of the Year award at the 2024 Analytics and AI Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin.

The award, presented by The Analytics Institute, recognises CIOs who have demonstrated exemplary leadership within their data and analytics teams and their organisations, and who have actively promoted the sector. Catherine received the award for her outstanding work in the field of technology and digital transformation. 

Appointed to her current role of COO in 2023, Catherine took on operational responsibilities for Power NI and Energia Customer Solutions. Catherine served as the CIO of Energia Group for over a decade from 2011 to 2023 overseeing technology, data, and digital strategy, delivery, and operations across Energia Group. She also held several other management positions since joining the company in 2000 as a graduate of Queens University Belfast with a degree in Information Management and holds an MBA from University of Ulster (2003).

As CIO, Catherine's leadership was instrumental in Energia’s entry to the Irish domestic gas and electricity market in 2014. In addition, as CIO, she played a key role in the smart metering service implementation and the expansion of the company's digital platform, driving Energia's data utilisation, machine learning, AI adoption, and delivering direct digital advantages to customers in their energy transition.

Catherine has also supported the Group’s “Women in Energy” network and played a pivotal role in the development of the Group’s women’s health policies, Pregnancy Loss and Fertility Treatment and a Managers guidance document to support women through the Menopause, all of which continue to form part of the company’s broader strategy of supporting all employees through every life stage and fostering a culture of inclusion.

Commenting on the award, Catherine said; “I am delighted to receive this award which is an incredible honour given the calibre of CIOs working across all sectors in Ireland today. I am fortunate to work in a company that places digitalisation at its heart and provides innovative solutions to our customers to support their energy transition.”

Highlighting the company’s wider vision for digitalisation, Catherine said, “In addition to the large renewable energy infrastructure projects being delivered by the Group, the achievement of our wider climate goals will rely on an integrated data and digital backbone that ensures we maximise the benefits of our renewable portfolio while offering differentiated and enhanced product offerings to our customers. At Energia Group, we are committed to powering a sustainable energy future for all – harnessing the power of the wind, harnessing the power of the sun and of course harnessing the power of data. Both the data and energy landscapes are evolving and changing at a greater pace than ever before and this data energy nexus means that the power of data and digitalisation will be core to the Group and to achieving our climate goals.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony Lorcan Malone, Chief Executive, The Analytics Institute said,

 "We are delighted that Catherine Gardiner of Energia Group has received our CIO of the Year 2024 Award. Catherine’s outstanding career to date as a Data Leader should act as an inspiration to all young women aspiring to reach the top in the Data Analytics and AI sphere."