Charity Chief Digital & Information Officer, Danny Attias has won a major accolade at the CIO 100 2020, it was revealed last night. Danny, who is CDIO of blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan topped the CIO 100 which recognises the most transformational and disruptive CIOs in and from the UK. The annual event celebrates technology and business leaders driving change at their organisations through teams.
The top 100 CIOs were announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 19 November, with other members of the top 10 including representatives from Sainsbury's and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Anthony Nolan’s Technology team were honoured for the creation of an effective data culture through a data community, strategy and tools as well as showing how they influenced real change within the organisation. The team’s work is vital to the charity to enable stem cell donors to be identified, contacted and mobilised quickly so they can donate to patients with blood cancers and blood disorders.
Danny first appeared in the CIO 100 in 2018 when he was listed at number nine as the highest ranked person working in the charity sector. On this, his second application and appearance in the top 100, Danny says:
‘To find out that Anthony Nolan’s Technology team had been recognised in the top spot was quite surprising and it's taking a while to come to terms with. The reasons we were put in the first position are things that I’m especially proud of.
‘We have a wonderful track record of retraining staff through apprenticeships and recruiting new staff who have re-trained as software developers from a variety of backgrounds. This diversity of experience makes us a richer and stronger team which lays a vital role in helping the charity to find a lifesaving match for three people every day.
‘Our work building and embedding a culture which prioritises technology, and fosters data-driven collaboration is really important because it speaks to the work we do at Anthony Nolan. Improvements to our systems and embracing data helps us to save lives, and that is worth fighting for.’
Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan says: ‘We are incredibly proud of Danny and his Technology team for receiving this accolade in honour of their work. Danny has worked tirelessly during his four years at Anthony Nolan to reinvigorate our digital solutions and the way we work with technology to directly improve things for patients we support.
‘On behalf of everyone at Anthony Nolan I’m delighted to offer my congratulations to Danny on this thoroughly deserved recognition.’
‘The judges were all hugely impressed by the work Danny has been doing at Anthony Nolan over the past four years and his position atop this year's CIO 100 reflects the achievement of a well-executed digital transformation plan,’ Scott Carey, Group Editor for Enterprise at the technology publisher IDG and a member of the CIO 100 judging panel said.
‘His ability to modernise the IT function at the charity is starting to pay dividends in the form of truly lifesaving advances both in the laboratory setting and the way Anthony Nolan finds donors and raises funds, making this accolade truly well-deserved.’
Anthony Nolan is based in Hampstead, North London. Find out more about the charity’s work at www.anthonynolan.org.