Celebrating Zabeen Hussain: NSP Commercial Manager Named Finalist in Women in ICT Awards 2026

We're incredibly proud to announce that our Commercial Manager, Zabeen Hussain, has been named a finalist in the Entrepreneur category of the 2026 Women in ICT Awards.

For Zabeen, this isn't her first time being recognised through the awards. She's been a finalist multiple times over the years - including in the Entrepreneur category as early as 2019 - and won the Rising Star award earlier in her career. That consistent recognition over multiple years tells a story: this isn't about a single moment of achievement, it's about sustained excellence.

"What makes this recognition even more special is that it represents a consistent journey over several years," Zabeen reflects. "It's been about sustained effort, evolution, and impact over time."

Why This Recognition Matters

The Women in ICT Awards exist to showcase the women shaping New Zealand's technology sector - an industry where women still represent only about 29% of the workforce despite making up half the population. Recognition like this serves multiple purposes: it validates the work being done, it provides role models for those considering tech careers, and it highlights the business impact that diverse perspectives bring.

For Zabeen personally, being named a finalist in the Entrepreneur category carries both professional validation and a sense of responsibility. "This recognition is not just about personal achievement," she says. "It's about representing women in technology, showing what's possible through resilience and consistency, and inspiring others to step into entrepreneurship with confidence."

That sense of responsibility - seeing recognition as a platform to encourage others, not just personal achievement - is a common thread among the most impactful professionals in any field.

Entrepreneurship as a Mindset

The Entrepreneur category recognises women building successful technology businesses. While Zabeen's title at NSP is Commercial Manager, she approaches the role with distinctly entrepreneurial thinking.

"I've always approached the role with an entrepreneurial mindset - treating the business as if it were my own," she explains. That means looking beyond day-to-day operations to identify growth opportunities, improve commercial outcomes, and find smarter ways to deliver value for clients.

It's a perspective shaped by years in the ICT space and the confidence that comes from being recognised for taking initiative and backing ideas. "An entrepreneurial mindset means accountability and ownership," Zabeen notes. "I take responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks - ensuring that decisions I make contribute to long-term business success, not just short-term wins."

This distinction - between managing operations versus driving growth, between executing tasks versus owning outcomes - captures what entrepreneurial thinking looks like regardless of job title or company structure.

In practice, it means constantly asking "what's next?" Whether exploring new revenue streams, adapting to market shifts, or strengthening partnerships, the focus is on moving the business forward, not just maintaining it. "Ultimately, even within a structured organisation, entrepreneurship is about mindset," Zabeen says. "It's about being proactive, resilient, and always looking for ways to create impact."

That mindset - proactive rather than reactive, growth-focused rather than maintenance-oriented - is what distinguishes those who drive innovation from those who simply manage the status quo.

The Path Forward: Advice for Women in Tech

One of the most valuable aspects of recognising successful professionals is learning from their experience. Zabeen's journey from Rising Star winner to multi-year Entrepreneur finalist provides hard-earned wisdom about building a career in technology.

Her first piece of advice: start before you feel ready.

"A lot of women hold back thinking they need to have every skill or qualification in place first," she observes. "Growth in this industry comes from stepping into opportunities, learning on the job, and being willing to adapt quickly."

That advice challenges the perfectionism that often holds talented people back from taking career-advancing steps. Waiting until you're "fully prepared" often means waiting indefinitely, because the goal posts keep moving.

Equally important: back yourself and your ideas. "Some of the biggest progress I've made came from speaking up, challenging the usual way of doing things, and not being afraid to take calculated risks - even when the outcome wasn't guaranteed," Zabeen shares.

She also emphasises thinking beyond job titles. Technology businesses need more than just technical expertise - they need people who understand customers, strategy, growth, and innovation. "If you can combine business thinking with technology, you become incredibly valuable," she notes.

Perhaps most importantly, recognition and career milestones don't come from single big moments. "It's built over time through showing up, delivering results, and continuing to grow even when things are tough," Zabeen says. Her own journey - sustained recognition across multiple years and categories - exemplifies that principle of consistency over perfection.

And while external recognition provides validation, the real shift comes from internal confidence. "Don't wait for validation," she advises. "If you stay committed, keep learning, and remain open to opportunities, the results will follow."

Why Representation Still Matters

The technology sector has made progress on gender diversity, but significant gaps remain. Globally, women represent only 26-28% of the tech workforce despite making up 42% of the overall labour force. Half of women working in technology leave the industry by age 35 - not due to lack of capability, but often because of workplace cultures that don't support them or career progression barriers.

These aren't just diversity statistics - they represent real business impact. Research consistently shows that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability. Diverse teams approach challenges from multiple angles, catch blind spots that homogeneous teams miss, and build products that work better for broader audiences.

For New Zealand specifically, with our relatively small population and ongoing skills shortages, we can't afford to underutilise half the potential workforce.

Programmes like the Women in ICT Awards create visibility for role models who demonstrate what's possible. When aspiring technologists see women succeeding in entrepreneurship, technical leadership, and business roles, it expands their sense of what they can achieve.

The Future of New Zealand's Tech Sector

Zabeen's optimism about New Zealand's technology sector centres on a fundamental shift: the move from being primarily a support-driven market to becoming a space where real innovation, scalability, and globally competitive businesses are being built.

"There's a growing confidence in backing local capability - not just consuming technology, but creating it, delivering it, and exporting it," she observes. Technology is no longer siloed but deeply connected to every industry, creating opportunities for businesses to rethink operations and deliver better outcomes.

Through her journey in the industry, Zabeen has seen how important it is to combine innovation with commercial thinking. "Ideas alone aren't enough," she notes. "It's about turning those ideas into sustainable, scalable outcomes."

That intersection of technology and business growth is where she sees her continued contribution - whether through her commercial work at NSP or broader entrepreneurial efforts. But her vision extends beyond individual success to building a stronger ecosystem: one where more women step into leadership, more diverse thinking is encouraged, and more people feel confident to build and lead in tech.

"Representation matters," Zabeen says simply. "Having been recognised across multiple stages of my career, I see that as both a privilege and a responsibility."

Celebrating All Finalists

The 2026 Women in ICT Awards recognise exceptional women across nine categories: Innovation, Technical Excellence, Entrepreneur, Graduate, Rising Star, Shining Star, Culture and Equity, Community Impact, and Achievement. Each finalist has demonstrated excellence that deserves recognition.

The awards ceremony on 17 June at the Cordis in Auckland will celebrate all finalists and announce winners. Regardless of outcome, being selected as a finalist among New Zealand's leading technology professionals is itself a significant achievement.

What This Means for NSP

At NSP, we're proud to have team members like Zabeen who bring entrepreneurial thinking, commercial excellence, and sustained achievement to their work. Her recognition reflects not just individual capability but the kind of culture we're committed to building - one where merit determines advancement, diverse perspectives strengthen our work, and excellence is rewarded based on contribution and capability.

Zabeen's success represents what's possible when talented professionals get opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities and are recognised for their contributions.

Congratulations Zabeen on this well-deserved recognition. We're proud of your sustained achievements.

About NSP

NSP provides cybersecurity and managed IT services to New Zealand businesses, helping organisations protect their operations, manage technology effectively, and build resilience against evolving threats.

Our team brings diverse backgrounds, entrepreneurial thinking, and deep expertise to solving complex challenges for clients across industries.

Learn more at nsp.co.nz or contact us to discuss your organisation's technology and security needs.