In the fast-evolving world of technology, community and collaboration are the keys to innovation and success. OATUG, a vibrant hub of dedicated tech enthusiasts, stands at the forefront of this spirit, bringing together individuals who generously share their time and expertise.

Each year, we honor those whose exceptional contributions resonate through the Oracle community. We call upon our network to celebrate individuals nominated for the Member of the Year, the Women in Technology Leadership Award, Presenter of the Year, Oracle Ambassador and organizations for the Project of the Year accolade. As we proudly announce this year's award recipients, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and deepest gratitude to these outstanding achievers. Their relentless commitment embodies the collaborative and innovative spirit that drives the Oracle Applications & Technology Users Group forward.

The Member of the Year Award recognizes an individual within an OATUG member organization for making an outstanding contribution to OATUG and its members.

Member Of the Year: Mia Urman

This year’s award winner is Mia Urman, Chief Executive Officer of AuraPlayer. Mia was our very first Women in Tech (WIT) Leadership Award recipient and played a pivotal role in supporting the inception of the WIT community for OATUG. Mia joins us at Ascend every year as a top-rated speaker and also contributes as a Board Member of the Mobility, Digital Experiences, and Automation for Enterprises SIG. Under Mia's leadership, AuraPlayer has not only been a steadfast sponsor year after year but has also advocated for the importance and value of our conference, highlighting its impact on her organization to other vendors.

One of Mia’s nominees shared:

“Beyond her own technical expertise, Mia often collaborates with Oracle executives in various OATUG E-Learning Sessions to provide critical information to Oracle customers and to help them stay in the know. She thinks beyond a business owner and always puts the community first, even electing some competitors to be her co-board members on the Mobile SIG as she believes it is important to represent all facets of EBS mobility. Simply put, Mia’s dedication to OATUG and the Oracle community at large is truly unmatched.”

Mia shared with us…

"I'm incredibly honored (and honestly still a little shocked) to be named Member of the Year by such an amazing group of Oracle rockstars. OATUG is where I found my people—techies with heart, passion, and a shared love for all things Oracle. This community has given me so many opportunities to grow, collaborate, and connect—and all in ways that have been way more fun than I ever expected. Being recognized like this is both humbling and energizing, and I’m proud to give back to a community that truly feels like family."

Check out Mia at our 2025 Ascend:

Women in Technology Leadership Award: Anna Kucan

The Women in Technology Leadership Award honors a female OATUG member who has demonstrated strong leadership and a passion for helping other women excel in technology-related professions or fields of study.

This year, we are excited to name Anna Kucan, Senior Database Administrator at Las Vegas Valley Water District, as our WIT Leadership Award winner. Anna is responsible for overseeing multiple database management systems, including Oracle and SQL Server environments. She has been a dedicated member of the OATUG Women in Technology (WIT) committee since 2023, contributing as a panel speaker in multiple webinars and networking events, as well as helping with event organization and content development throughout the year. One of her award nominees sums her up perfectly:

“To me as a male and proud girl dad, Anna is a shining example of what everyone should be. She has mentored me on significant projects. Her ability to think strategically, perform her best when the stakes are highest, empower those around her, and recognize the value each person offers to the team are inspiring. It is a privilege to work with her. Her actions inspire others, including men like myself, to actively support women in technology. Anna exemplifies the qualities I hope to see in my own daughter someday.”

Anna shared with us about what the organization means to her:

“OATUG has been a peripheral part of my professional life for many years now, but when I found the Women in Technology group, OATUG became front and center not only in my professional life but in my personal life as well. It’s not just about professional development—it’s about building a community of support, mentorship, and inspiration. One of the most meaningful aspects has been the ability to share deeply personal and sometimes painful experiences with women who not only empathize but often have their own stories to share. That mutual understanding has created a space of trust and authenticity that’s helped me grow both personally and professionally.”

Join us at the Women in Technology Panel at the 2025 Ascend Conference, where Anna will be participating as a panelist on Tuesday, June 10 from 8:00 – 9:00 am.

The Emerging Leader Award: Amod Joshi

The Emerging Leader Award recognizes an OATUG member who goes above and beyond by connecting, educating, and helping other new leaders within the Oracle Applications and Technologies communities.

This year, our Emerging Leader Award is presented to Amod Joshi, Director Consulting at CGI, Inc. Amod is a current Oracle ACE known for his expertise in leveraging Oracle technologies to drive impactful business outcomes. He serves as our current Emerging Leaders Co-Chair, assisting with programming aimed at Oracle career newcomers to support their career paths. Additionally, Amod acts as a mentor in the OATUG mentor program and contributes to OATUG’s Insight magazine.

Amod describes his OATUG experience:

“OATUG is a vibrant community of professionals who are passionate about sharing knowledge, solving real-world challenges, and getting the most value from Oracle solutions. It's a place where collaboration thrives, experiences are exchanged, and continuous learning is encouraged. For me, OATUG represents connection, growth, and the power of community-driven innovation. Being part of OATUG means staying ahead in the ever-evolving Oracle landscape while building meaningful connections and continuously learning from each other's experiences.”

Oracle Ambassador: Al Marciante

Oracle Ambassador of the Year is award to an Oracle employee who has made an outstanding contribution to the OATUG and its members by significantly supporting or contributing to one or more of the OATUG’s goals of advocacy, education and training, and member networking. The winner of this award is nominated and voted on by the OATUG Board of Directors.

Our 2025 Oracle Ambassador of the Year is Al Marciante, Vice President, Product Management at Oracle. Al he supports both Cloud EPM, as well as the Hyperion EPM on-premises product suites. He is a technical and functional product leader in a highly competitive software market. He has direct product management and marketing duties as well as mentoring and management of individual contributors.

Al has provided the backbone of OATUG's EPM education content for years, from the Hyperion days to EPM to Cloud Fusion EPM. He's shared roadmaps and insights with the OATUG user community at our annual conferences, has been a regular star presenter during special online education events and even makes the occasional memorable cameo during our community's online happy hours. His support of OATUG, our conference and our members has been stellar and is both impactful and deeply appreciated.

“Al Marciante embodies the rare combination of genuine community leadership and technical advocacy. Through his unwavering commitment to the Oracle EPM ecosystem, he hasn't just advanced the Oracle cloud technologies—he's elevated an entire community of professionals. He champions the capabilities of Oracle cloud and has dedication to teaching others through presentations on cloud customer connect and in-person events. I am very lucky to have been able to learn from Al on both Oracle EPM and how to lead others in knowledge sharing.” – Kate Helmer, Senior Director, Huron Digital

Al will be presenting at Ascend on Monday, June 9

Star Presenters of the Year

OATUG Star Presenter of the Year Award recognizes two OATUG members (one User and one Associate) who have made an outstanding contribution to the OATUG and its members via speaking engagements.

User

Matthew Rekers, ERP Specialist III and Risk Advisory Lead at Clayton Homes has received the award for our Star Presenter of the Year in the User category for his Ascend 2024 presentation “MythBusters: Is Role-Based Provisioning for Oracle Cloud ‘Fact’ or ‘Fiction’?”.

Matthew shared:

“I enjoy presenting at Ascend because it’s a chance to give back to the Oracle community. At Clayton Homes, we’ve learned a lot through hands-on experience, and I like being able to share those lessons in a way that sticks. Whether it’s diving into the details of Oracle Cloud or dressing up like a MythBuster, I try to make the content both useful and entertaining.”

Join Matthew’s presentation at the 2025 Ascend:

Associate

Sylvain Martel, Director ERP Custom Solutions at Talan formerly Insum is our Associate Presenter of the year. He is a speaker year after year at Ascend and supports annual webinars. Sylvian is a Board Member of our Mobility, Digital Experiences and Automation for Enterprises and had been a sponsor of OATUG during his time at Insum and as brought their new company to OATUG as a new partner of ours. He is being honored for his 2024 Ascend Presentation: Supersize E-Business Suite Reporting with Application Express (APEX) and Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC).

Sylvian says,

“Presenting at the Ascend is always a pleasure for me. Since my first presentation at Collaborate 2017, I've cherished the opportunity to share my insights and experiences with the community. I love to present at Ascend because (hopefully!) I help organizations discover new ways to be more efficient with their favorite ERP using Oracle APEX and other Oracle technologies that attendees can use back home. I always wanted my presentations to be informative, blending technical depth with practical applications.

After a session, conversations with attendees are the best. You get to discuss real life challenges and the exchange on what other organizations are doing. This gives me more reasons to find ways help them out and come back every year. The collaborative spirit of Ascend makes it a perfect event for sharing ideas and making friends along the way!”

We hope you will attend Sylvian’s Ascend 2025 Sessions:

Project of the Year

Recognizes an OATUG User Member organization for successful completion of a complex or exceptionally impactful project involving one or more Oracle applications and/or Oracle technology platforms. The project must have been completed (usually marked by a "go-live date") within approximately the last 12 months.

Award Winner: Equinix

Read a detailed recap of the project and why it was a winner!