Lillian Barnard, a tech enthusiast, has been conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Inaugural Africa Women in Tech - Global Movement Awards in Cape Town, South Africa. The CEO of Microsoft South Africa was recognised for her over 20 years of professional success accomplished in the ICT industry, both locally and abroad.

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The excited Barnard in a blog post said she was grateful for the recognition she got from the judges and board of the Women in Tech Movement.

‘’I am standing on the shoulders of giants: my faith, family, mentors, and my company/team at Microsoft. Leadership is a privilege because it gives you the opportunity to influence and impact at so many levels,’’ she said.

Barnard remains one of South Africa’s leading technology executives and has built a highly-skilled team around her. In May 2017, she joined Microsoft as a public sector director.

Two years later, she was appointed as CEO of Microsoft South Africa. She became the first woman to hold the position since Microsoft reinvested in South Africa in the early 1990s.

Before joining Microsoft, Lillian served two years as chief sales officer for Vodacom’s Enterprise Business. She also headed LillianB Consulting Services, where she was an advisor and coach to business leaders.

During Lillian’s 15-year career at IBM, she held several key leadership positions, including working for seven years at the IBM European Headquarters in France and Switzerland.

She previously served on the boards of Vodacom South Africa, Mango Airlines and Dad-fund Non-Profit Organisation.

Lillian holds a BCom Honours in Business Economics from the University of the Western Cape.