AITP, with its Partners, currently sponsors three awards to recognize outstanding performance in the IT community.  All three of these highly coveted awards go through an in depth application process where the nominees are judged by a panel of their peers.

CIO of the Year Award

Jointly sponsored by the Executives' Club of Chicago, AITP Chicago, and SIM Chicago. This award was first presented in 1995.  Past winners include:

2024 - Jane Possell, EVP, Global Chief Information Officer, Analytics, Operations,  CNA
2023 - Angela O'Banion, CIO, Cook County Health
2022 - Amir Arooni, EVP and CIO, Discover Financial Services
2021 - Scott Morgan, VP, Bus/Dev & Technology, Dental Lead & CIO, Dearborn Group
2020 - Heather Nelson, SVP & CIO, University of Chicago Medicine
2019 - Danielle DuMerer, CIO & Commissioner, Department of Innovation and Technology, City of Chicago
2018 - Ophir Trigalo, Vice Provost & CIO, Illinois Institute of Chicago
2017 - Glenn Schneider, CIO, Discover Financial
2016 - Eric Yablonka, VP & CIO, University of Chicago Medical Center and Biological Sciences
2015 - Sonny Garg, VP and Chief Innovation Officer, Exelon Corporation
2014 - Yvonne Scott, CIO, Crowe Horwath LLP
2014 - Brian Hedberg, CIO, Healthcare Service Corporation (HCSC)
2013 - Sanjib Sahoo, CTO, OptionsMonster Holdings, Inc.
2012 - No Award, the process was switched from the Fall of 2012 to the Spring of 2013
2011 - Stewart H. McCutcheon CIO/CPO at Ecolabs/Nalco Company
2010 - Susan Malisch CIO at Loyola University Chicago
2009 - John M. Hinshaw CIO at The Boeing Company
2008 - Timothy R. Zoph CIO at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
2007 - Patricia Morrison CIO at Motorola
2006 - Cathie Brune CIO at Allstate Insurance
2005 - John Golden CIO at C N A Financial
2004 - Patrick Moroney CIO at Health Care Services Corp (BCBS)
2003 - William Farrow CIO at Chicago Board Of Trade (CBOT)
2002 - John Fisher CIO at Smith Bucklin
2001 - John Moon CIO at Baxter Healthcare
2000 - Jean Holley CIO at USG
1999 - Lloyd Love CIO at Amcol International
1998 - Cathie Kozik CIO at Tellabs
1997 - Larry Buettner CIO at First National Bank of Chicago
1996 - Terry McKillop CIO at Rittenhouse Paper
1995 - Mark Barry CIO at TTX

CIO Innovator of the Year Award

2024 - Doug King, CIO, Northwestern Medicine & Northwestern University – Feinberg School of Medicine
2023 - Jason Birnbaum, CIO, United Airlines
2022 - Kevin Lowell, SVP, IT, UScellular
2021 - Bill Blount, CIO, benefitexpress
2020 - Sean Katz, CIO, The Vitality Group USA
2019 - Kevin Glynn, CIO, DSC Logistics

CIO+ of the Year Award

2023 - Kevin Rooney, CAO & CIO, West Monroe
2022 - Janet Zelenka, EVP, CFO & CIO, Stericycle
2021 - Tracy Elmblad, Chief Operating Officer and CIO, Hinshaw & Culbertson
2020 - Jill Albin-Hill, VP for Operations & Technology and CIO, Dominican University
2019 - Wendy Woodward, CIO & Campus Services Officer, Wheaton College

CIO Impact Award

2024 - Sean McCormick, SVP & CIO, First Student
2023 - Maryann Byrdak, CIO, Feeding America
2023 - Raj Sampoornam, SVP & CIO, Byline Bank

Most Effective IT Team Award

sponsored by AITP Chicago .  This Award was first presented in 2008.  Prior to 2018 the Award is made in three categories covering Large, Medium and Small organizations.  Beginning in 2018 the size categories were eliminated and awards are given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place.

Past winners include:

2024 - 1st Place (Tied), Cook County Health, 1st Place (Tied) West Monroe, 2nd Place (Tied) Stericyce, 2nd Place (Tied) Byline Bank-Business Systems Team
2023 - 1st Place, Inland Real Estate Group, 2nd Place, HCSC, 3rd Place, John G. Shedd Aquarium 2019 - 1st Place, PSAV; 2nd Place, CIBC; 3rd Place, Delta Dental Plans Association
2018 - 1st Place, Illinois Student Assistance Commission; 2nd Place, Zurich Services; 3rd Place, Nuveen
2016 - City of Chicago (Large Firm), Mesirow Financial (Medium Firm), Connect Hearing (Small Firm)
2015 - University of Chicago Medicine (Large Firm), Jenner & Block (Medium Firm), Illinois Student Assistance Commission
2014 - USG (Large Firm), Tate & Lyle (Medium Firm), Association Management Center (Small Firm)
2013 - True Value Company (Large Firm), tradeMonster Group (Small Firm)
2012 - Kraft Foods/Mondelez Int'l (Large Firm), DeVry (Medium Firm), Crowe Horwath LLP (Small Firm)
2011 - Motorola Mobility (Large Firm), Hallmark (Medium Firm)
2009 - Chicago Public Schools (Large Firm), Hallmark (Medium), Cardian Learning Group (Small Firm)
2008 - Options Clearing House (Large Firm), Loyola University (Medium Firm), Littelfuse (Small Firm)

CISO of the Year Award

jointly sponsored by the Chicago Chapters of AITP, ISSA and InfraGard.  This Award was first presented in 2013.  Past winners include:

2025 - ENTERPRISE, Sefali Mookencherry, CISO, University of Illinois Chicago
2025- MID-CAP, Nitin Raina, CISO, Thoughtworks
2024 - ENTERPRISE, Dan Manley, CISO, CME Group
2024- MID-CAP, Angela Williams, CISO, UL Solutions
2023 - ENTERPRISE, Darin Hurd, CISO, Guaranteed Rate
2023 - MID-CAP, Neil Witek, CISO, Oak Street Health
2022 - ENTERPRISE, Mahmood Khan, SVP & CISO, CNA Insurance
2022 - MID-CAP, Walter Lefmann, CISO, Chicago Trading Corporation
2021 - CISO of the Year, Ricardo Lafosse, CISO, The Kraft Heinz Company
2020 - CISO of the Year, Paige Adams, Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Zurich Insurance Company Ltd
2019 - CISO of the Year, Jill Rhodes, CISO, Option Care Health
2018 - CISO of the Year, Bradley Schaufenbuel, VP & Chief Information Security Officer, Paylocity
2017 - CISO of the Year, Erik Decker, Chief Security & Privacy Officer, University of Chicago Medicine
2016 - CISO of the Year, Todd Fitzgerald, CISO, Grant Thornton International Ltd
2015 - CISO of the Year, Kevin Novak, CISO and Technology Risk Officer for Northern Trust Bank
2014 - CISO of the Year, Arian McMillan, CISO, Deparartment of Innovation and Technology, City of Chicago
2013 - CISO of the Year, Jason Witty, SVP & CISO, US Bank.