Janet Barnard, who is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Manheim North America, has earned a 2014 Woman of the Year in Technology Award from Women in Technology.

Barnard was presented with the honor last week during an annual awards gala and dinner at the Georgia Aquarium. The awards spotlight the accomplishments of Georgia’s top women leaders, and Barnard was chosen as the overall winner in the Enterprise/Large Business category.

“Janet is a valued member of the Cox Automotive leadership team, and we congratulate her on this well-earned achievement, said Sandy Schwartz, president of Cox Automotive.  “She is a passionate advocate for our industry, her customers and her community. 

“Janet has been instrumental in developing innovative business solutions, delivering a great experience for our customers and serving as a role model to women,” Schwartz continued. “We are extremely proud of her and the contributions she is making at Manheim and within the communities we serve.” 

As for the awards themselves, WIT honors the state’s top women leaders in science, technology, engineering and math for their accomplishments and for how they have improved their respective communities.

There is just one winner per category (small/emerging business, medium/midsize business and large/enterprise business).

In addition to her roles as COO — which include leading 18,000 employees and heading up strategic business functions like operations, sales, customer experience and product development — Barnard’s impact extends far beyond the remarketing business.

She is a member of the Metro Atlanta Clean Tech Leadership Council, an organization that aims to grow the clean tech economy as well as clean tech jobs, all while helping to position metro Atlanta as a sustainability leader.

Barnard was named a 2010 Betsy Magness Leadership Institute Fellow, a program spotlighting the most successful female leaders in the cable and telecommunications industry.

Barnard supports and participates in the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America program that raises funds and awareness for Victory Junction and other charities supporting children who have chronic illnesses.  

She has also served as a board member and mentor for All Our Kids, an organization that serves at-risk youth through mentoring and merit-based college scholarships.

“I am truly inspired and honored to have been selected by Women in Technology as the winner of this leadership award,” said Barnard. “This award not only recognizes the important business strides we are making through innovative technologies, but also puts a spotlight on the positive and meaningful differences that women are making in their businesses and communities.”