TEES TECH AWARDS 2026

Udari Jayasinghe received the Janice Webster Unsung Hero Award from David Dixon, CCO of Automate Legal.

WINNER

( Tricore Technical Services)

She didn’ t even know she’ d been nominated until the shortlist was published – but a“ very grateful” Udari Jayasinghe is coming to terms with public recognition as an unsung hero.

Applied AI developer Udari, who is the resident AI specialist and software developer at Tricore Technical Services, admitted she was“ shocked” to win the Janice Webster Unsung Hero Award at the Tees Tech Awards 2026.

And in doing so, she became Tricore’ s second individual winner of the night, with Noah Benjjaoui having earlier picked up the Rising Star award.

Udari came to the UK from her homeland, Sri Lanka, in 2022, as her husband Prasanna Dinesh was doing his PhD at Teesside University.

Since joining Tricore through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Teesside University two and a half years ago, she’ s quietly elevated the firm’ s digital systems while becoming a“ critical pillar” supporting Tricore’ s revenue growth from £ 1.7m to £ 4.8m.

She has created cutting-edge, bespoke algorithms specifically designed for complex problem-solving in challenging infrastructure environments.

In particular, she has had a fundamentally influential impact on three major Innovate UK projects: Safe Site One, Safe Site 2 and Safe Xtend.

Tricore MD Paul Bass said:“ Udari’ s quiet intelligence drives our technical capabilities forward. I can’ t think of a better person to win the award.”

Speaking after receiving her award, Udari told Tees Business how from being a front-end UI and UX developer in Sri Lanka, her Tricore work had evolved to helping redesign and rebuilding the company’ s software.

She said:“ Since working at Tricore, I found out I had good problem-solving skills. I like solving a real-world problem, then people use it and their life is getting easier. To be honest, I like the easiest way- but the easiest way is often the best way!”

She added:“ I’ m so shocked- I honestly didn’ t expect this. I didn’ t even know that they had nominated me – I only found out when I got to know I’ d been shortlisted.”

Following Udari and Noah’ s award wins, Tricore posted on LinkedIn:“ These achievements reflect the dedication, innovation and teamwork that continue to drive Tricore Technical Services forward across the region and beyond.

“ As we continue expanding our capabilities and supporting our sector-leading clients with cutting-edge technical and digital solutions, moments like these remind us that our people remain at the centre of everything we do.”

FINALISTS

LAURA BUCKELL( JOLA HR)

Operations director Laura is a key part of the day-to-day running of Jola HR, quietly taking on a huge range of responsibilities beyond her original background.

Always upskilling herself and stepping into whatever the firm needs, Laura stands out not just for her adaptability, but the way she goes about it. She doesn’ t seek attention or recognition, she simply gets on with the job, solves problems and keeps things moving.

Her contribution is often behind the scenes, but it has played a big part in helping Jola HR grow in confidence, visibility and commercial traction.

She is also active in the Teesside business community, building strong networks and championing digital solutions with genuine warmth and energy.

RUSSELL MILLS( ALT LABS)

Innovation lead at Middlesbrough-based innovation agency Alt Labs, Russell has delivered corporate innovation programmes for many well-known names, including LNER and Transport For Wales.

More recently, he’ s also been lead facilitator on the Tees Valley Labs programme, designed to support early-stage and scaling startups.

Described as“ kind”,“ supportive”,“ inspiring” and“ knowledgeable” by colleagues, his diverse career spans everything from global manufacturing and small engineering firms.

Known for his lateral thinking and unconventional problem-solving, he is also actively involved in education and community engagement, bringing real-world insight to younger audiences by delivering assemblies and tailored sessions in schools.

136 | Tees Business