ATLANTA, Nov. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2025 GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Awards recognized the exceptional leadership and innovation of top technology executives from Southern Company, AGCO Corporation, Equifax, Cox Enterprises, National DCP, Construction Resources, Cantaloupe (fmr), and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The prestigious ORBIE Awards – hosted by GeorgiaCIO, a chapter of the Inspire Leadership Network – honor CIOs who drive business transformation and make a lasting impact on the industry.
Winners were recognized across eight categories: Super Global, Global, Large Enterprise, Enterprise, Large Corporate, Corporate, Public Sector, and Lifetime Achievement. The ceremony, which took place at The Hotel at Avalon, brought together top executives and industry leaders to celebrate excellence in technology leadership.
“Great CIOs understand how connections drive transformation,” said Elizabeth Hoemeke, GeorgiaCIO Chair. “The ORBIE® Awards recognize CIOs who leverage relationships to drive innovation, solve complex challenges, and shape the future of Georgia.”
Meet the 2025 GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Award Winners:
Martin Davis, EVP & CIO, Southern Company, received the Lifetime Achievement ORBIE.
Viren Shah, SVP & Chief Digital & Information Officer, AGCO Corporation, received the Super Global ORBIE for organizations over $6 billion annual revenue & multi-national operations.
Jamil Farshchi, CTO, Equifax, received the Global ORBIE for organizations over $1 billion annual revenue & multi-national operations.
Carolyn Pleiss, SVP & CIO, Cox Enterprises, received the Large Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $8 billion annual revenue.
Chintan Patel, CIO, National DCP, received the Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $2 billion annual revenue.
Scott Schemmel, CIO, Construction Resources, received the Large Corporate ORBIE for organizations over $600 million annual revenue.
Gaurav Singal, CTO (fmr), Cantaloupe, received the Corporate ORBIE for organizations up to $600 million annual revenue.
Chris Crist, CIO, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, received the Public Sector ORBIE for government & public sector organizations.
About the ORBIE:
The ORBIE is the preeminent executive recognition for C-suite leaders. Since 1998, the ORBIE Awards have recognized leadership excellence, building relationships between executives and trusted business partners, and inspiring the next generation of executives. Finalists and winners are selected through an independent peer-adjudicated process led by prior ORBIE recipients based on the following criteria:
- Leadership and management effectiveness
- Business value created by technology innovation
- Engagement in industry and community endeavors
GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Keynote & Attendance:
The keynote address for the GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Awards was delivered by Martin Davis, EVP & CIO, Southern Company, who was interviewed by DeWayne Griffin, Vice Chair, GeorgiaCIO. Over 400 guests attended, representing leading Georgia organizations and their technology partners.
The following sponsors made the 2025 GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Awards possible:
- Underwriters: Brooksource, Google Cloud, Kanini, Palo Alto Networks, & Slalom Consulting
- Gold Sponsors: Cato Networks, Cloudflare, Fortinet, HCL Tech, Moveworks, & Rimini Street
- Silver Sponsors: Cognizant, Juniper Networks, Symphony, T-Mobile, Tata Consultancy Services, Tyler Technologies, Veeam Software, & Zscaler Inc
- Bronze Sponsors: Auditmacs, Between Pixels, Capgemini, Island, & iVision
- Media Partner: Atlanta Business Chronicle
- Nonprofit Partner: Year Up United
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how to connect with leading C-suite executives across North America, click here.
About GeorgiaCIO:
GeorgiaCIO is the preeminent peer leadership network of chief information officers (CIOs) in Georgia. As one of 50 chapters of the Inspire Leadership Network, GeorgiaCIO belongs to a national membership organization exclusively comprised of C-suite leaders from public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare, and nonprofit institutions.
GeorgiaCIO is led by a CIO Advisory Board, with support from an executive director and staff. Underwriter executives support the chapter and ensure the programs remain non-commercial and exclusive to qualified CIOs and members.
About Inspire Leadership Network:
Inspire Leadership Network is the preeminent peer leadership network of C-suite executives. With over 2,000 members across 50 local chapters, Inspire members serve public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare, and non-profit institutions. Inspire exists to help leaders thrive in today’s most challenging executive roles.
Media Contact
Nicole Lammes
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e370d2df-ff35-4ee5-9a79-b234a16c7c49
