ST. LOUIS, Dec. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2025 St. Louis ORBIE Awards recognized the exceptional leadership and innovation of top technology executives from Olin Corporation, Mastercard, Ameren, Distribution Management, Inc, Delta Dental of Missouri, Axia Women’s Health, and Saint Louis Zoo. The prestigious ORBIE Awards – hosted by St.LouisCIO, 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 seven categories: Global, Large Enterprise, Enterprise, Large Corporate, Corporate, Nonprofit & Public Sector, and Leadership. The ceremony, which took place at The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza, brought together top executives and industry leaders to celebrate excellence in technology leadership.
“Great CIOs understand how connections drive transformation,” said Rick Hall, St.LouisCIO Chair. “The ORBIE® Awards recognize CIOs who leverage relationships to drive innovation, solve complex challenges, and shape the future of St. Louis.”
Meet the 2025 St. Louis ORBIE Award Winners:
Christy Barker, VP & CIO, Olin Corporation, received the Leadership ORBIE.
Ed McLaughlin, President & CTO, Mastercard, received the Global ORBIE for organizations over $2 billion annual revenue & multi-national operations.
Rob Childs, SVP & CIO, Ameren, received the Large Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $6.5 billion annual revenue.
Michelle Kaufman, SVP of Technology, Distribution Management, Inc, received the Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $1 billion annual revenue.
Kiran Achen, CIDO, Delta Dental of Missouri, received the Large Corporate ORBIE for organizations over $500 million annual revenue.
Pallavi Chandak, CIO, Axia Women’s Health, received the Corporate ORBIE for organizations up to $500 million annual revenue.
Jennifer Walton, Director, Technology Services, Saint Louis Zoo, received the Nonprofit & Public Sector ORBIE for government & nonprofit 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
St. Louis ORBIE Keynote & Attendance:
The keynote address for the St. Louis ORBIE Awards was delivered by Christy Barker, VP & CIO, Olin Corporation, who was interviewed by Jim Cavellier, EVP & CIO, Cass Information Systems. Over 300 guests attended, representing leading Greater St. Louis organizations and their technology partners.
The following sponsors made the 2025 St. Louis ORBIE Awards possible:
- Underwriters: Fortinet, Google Cloud, TDK Technologies, Technology Partners, & TEKLEIGH
- Gold Sponsors: Comcast Business & HCLTech
- Silver Sponsors: Cloudflare, Glean, Palo Alto Networks, & Tata Consultancy Services
- Bronze Sponsors: Baker Tilly, Between Pixels, Island, OTSI, Pure Storage, Samsara, SAP America, & Slalom Consulting
- Media Partner: St. Louis Business Journal
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how to connect with leading C-suite executives across North America, click here.
About St.LouisCIO:
St.LouisCIO is the preeminent peer leadership network of chief information officers (CIOs) in Greater St. Louis. As one of 50 chapters of the Inspire Leadership Network, St.LouisCIO belongs to a national membership organization exclusively comprised of C-suite leaders from public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare, and nonprofit institutions.
St.LouisCIO 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
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6cc5a843-f280-4a64-8ba7-5703b3fc2260
