Thank you so much Asma for sharing your career journey and pivot with us today. I really appreciate hearing about the realities of growing up female in Saudi Arabia, and the academic and employment challenges that women face.

A self-declared nerd, Asma told us about her focus on getting good grades and her desire to obtain her Ph.D., switching her major to engineering, even with all of the people around her telling her that engineering is not for women, and questioning what she was going to do afterwards.

She shared that even though she graduated with top marks, it was challenging (to say the least) to be looking for an engineering role as a woman. She started her career with Aramco and was there for almost 20 years.

We learned about the importance of having a sponsor, someone who can be a mentor and vouch for you, and we learned that Asma was the first female engineer to work in a refinery in Saudi Arabia. Thankfully, she opened the doors for many women who followed in her footsteps.

She spoke of creating Asma’s Table, a cooking experience all about creating community. After a successful 6 years in Saudi Arabia, she has brought Asma’s Table to Ottawa. As someone who always enjoyed cooking and experimenting with food, Asma pivoted in the most delicious way!

Big thanks to Asma for inspiring us with her journey and her amazing cooking experiences with Asma’s Table.

Links:

asma's table (asmastable.com) – please check out her website for more information about her upcoming October 28th cooking experience highlighting the humble pumpkin.

Asma Tahlawi, PhD. | LinkedIn

Imperial College London

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Saudi Official Website