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Insights from the Arm and Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team's® International Women’s Day event

Driving Diversity in STEM | Arm & Aston Martin Aramco®

In celebration of International Women's Day, Arm and The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team® hosted a fireside chat focused on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in STEM and motorsport. The discussion brought together industry leaders to explore equitable opportunities, mentorship, and inclusive leadership. This event was a small part of the Arm and Aston Martin Aramco® new partnership to drive programs that empower women and expand access to STEM careers.  

How is Arm creating equitable opportunities?

At the event, we sat down with Tamika Curry Smith, Arm’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, to learn more about how the partnership with The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team® is creating new opportunities for women in STEM. 

"One of the things we're trying to do with our partnership with Aston Martin Aramco® is provide more opportunities to women of all backgrounds," says Tamika. "It’s sparking their interest in STEM, giving them support via mentorship and allyship, and providing role models so that they can see what's possible." 

Diversity in hiring is also at the core of Arm’s approach. At the event, Gabriel Shushane, CEO and co-founder of DayDevs, a London-based software development company that collaborates with Arm to optimize applications for Windows on Arm platforms, highlights the global reach of Arm’s initiatives: "The best solutions are provided and powered by the best talent, and that talent comes from all over the world. We work with people from Poland, Tunisia, Jamaica, Brazil, and the UK, all contributing their unique perspectives to the same projects. Diversity is not just a value—it’s a necessity." 

Message to women looking to make their mark in STEM or motorsport

The event offered an opportunity to share advice on breaking into STEM and motorsport, highlighting the challenges and the perseverance needed to succeed. Breaking into STEM and motorsport can be challenging, but Jessica Hawkins, The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team's Head of F1 Academy and Driver Ambassador, who is also an Arm Ambassador, shares words of encouragement: "Be confident, be passionate, never ever give up. Treat setbacks as positives. Learn from them, find ways that you can develop from them. You do deserve a place at that table." 

What actions can leaders take to empower the next generation of women?

Arm’s leadership emphasizes proactive advocacy for women in STEM. "Find the rock stars in your organizations. Help them, empower them, speak for them in rooms where they are not in," says Dipti Vachani, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Automotive at Arm. "There are rock stars, there are women everywhere that we can stand up for." 

Beyond individual empowerment, inclusive leadership also means fostering a workplace culture where employees can thrive. "We need to be considerate of people's cultures and their backgrounds when we work with them," says Gabriel Shushane. "For instance, during Ramadan, we ensure flexibility so that our engineers who observe it can start earlier and finish earlier to spend time with their families. These small but significant actions make a difference." 

How does Arm embed inclusion in their culture?

"Arm is focused on innovation and inclusion at every possible level in our business and has been since the very, very beginning when we were born in a barn," says Charlotte Eaton, Arm’s Chief People Officer. "We have core beliefs, and one of those is 'be your brilliant self,' and that is about everyone being able to bring their true selves and their voice into the room. We celebrate that every single day." 

The company’s commitment to inclusivity extends beyond internal initiatives. "Our work in the Arm Developer Program is really important as it's about connecting developers globally," says Gemma Platt, Head of Developer Marketing at Arm. "One thing that we're really passionate about is encouraging people from all diverse backgrounds and being really inclusive in terms of getting people that are passionate about technology connected with each other and sharing and learning experiences." 

Through strategic partnerships, mentorship programs, and leadership advocacy, Arm and The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team are actively driving change, creating meaningful opportunities, and ensuring that women in STEM and motorsport have the resources and support they need to succeed. 

Learn how Arm is championing diversity through mentorship, allyship, and inclusive leadership: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Arm® 

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