Hannah Quinton to judge Silicon Canal Awards

Today I met GuyKat’s Head of eLearning, Hannah Quinton, to discuss the upcoming Silicon Canal Awards.

Hannah leads the creative team at GuyKat and has worked with us for 8 years. Hannah was named Developer of the Year in the 2017 awards, and GuyKat were named Small Company of the Year in 2018.  This year she has been invited to join the judging panel.

What does technology mean to you?

Having been in an integral part of a tech company for a number of years, I use technology on an everyday basis. We create and build engaging training to communicate with people across the globe. This could not be done without the vast array of authoring tools, technologies, and applications we use to deliver projects. What is great about our industry is that it’s still really in its infancy. eLearning in the past has not had a very good reputation, often being associated with poorly designed and long-winded modules that are a chore to complete. With a great creative team and the right technology, we are changing that. We never stop learning new technologies or exploring new ways to enhance our modules.  That means my relationship with technology continues to evolve and grow. I still find it humbling that I have been responsible for thousands of eLearning modules being implemented in over 50 countries and 12 different languages.

How were you introduced to Silicon Canal awards?

When I first joined GuyKat 8 years ago, I was encouraged to go to networking events in order to meet like-minded people in the tech community. As with most people early in their career this was a slightly daunting idea, however, Silicon Canal was promoted as a more relaxed setting and they were not wrong! I’ve been going ever since. In 2018 GuyKat won the Silicon Canal Small Company of the Year award and it was such a positive team experience. Everyone in the team is passionate about what we do and to be recognized for it was the sprinkles on top of the cake.

What encouraged you to take place on the judging panel?

Over the last few years I have grown in my career and confidence in the tech scene and I attribute some of that growth to the support community I found in Silicon Canal. In 2017, I was nominated as the Silicon Canal Developer of the Year and subsequently won. This was a huge achievement for me as I had never considered myself as a contender.  I was overwhelmed with the support I received in the aftermath. As a result, I became an ambassador of Silicon Canal, involving myself in the Women in Tech events and making some very close friends as a result. So, when I was asked to judge this year’s awards, I was really excited to be involved. There is a lot of emerging talent in Birmingham, I cannot wait to promote the great achievements happening in this city.

Which award category announcement are you most excited about?

For me, Small Company of the Year is something I’m personally excited to see the category entries. I have an understanding of the journey a small company goes on in order to be successful and I will be looking out for their stories in particular.

 

For more information on all the great Silicon Canal events going on over the next few months, please check out their website: https://siliconcanal.co.uk.

To see further information on the awards, nominate or book your tickets go to https://awards.siliconcanal.co.uk I wish everyone who is nominated the best of luck in this year’s awards and I can’t wait to see you on November 28th.