Acceler8 Your Future: Sioned Edwards, Director of IT Operations

Amidst the usual production-day chaos, Sioned brought a sense of calm and candor to the set that grounded the conversation and everyone in it. We soon learned that her assured composure is rooted in clarity. Clarity of purpose, of self and of the path she carved out.

“My journey into the business was quite unusual,” she told us, smiling. “At university, I studied Geology. But during those four years, I found myself gravitating toward tech… and realized I didn’t actually like Geology.”

From tracing millennia in stone to delivering technology at race pace, her pivot was as bold as it was intentional. Sioned retrained through a graduate program at a software company, developing not just technical expertise, but the business fluency to translate complex systems into clear solutions. It was that rare mix of analytical rigor and communication finesse that caught her CIO’s attention.

“I joined Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ four years ago, looking after the software that powered the manufacturing department,” she explained. “But I saw a gap in IT — a need for someone who could bridge the technical with the business. My CIO saw it too. She saw my ability to make things happen.”

Today, as Director of IT Operations, Sioned leads a team that spans both the AMR Technology Campus and the racetrack, overseeing everything from infrastructure to service delivery. Her remit is wide, but her approach is personal. “Soft skills are just as important as hard ones,” she admitted. “Communication is everything. We’re a small team, so we have to be fast, clear and collaborative, and we treat every stakeholder like a customer.”

Back at the IT Service Desk, it’s easy to see why the team runs the way it does. Sioned leads with trust, clarity and a deep understanding of both people and process. She enables performance, not just through the systems she oversees, but by empowering the team around her to deliver at their best.

What makes working in IT at Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team different from any other tech job you’ve had or could imagine having?

The big difference here at Aston Martin Aramco is the unbelievable pace of change and innovation. It’s incredible and something I've never been able to experience before.

One of the biggest things I say within the IT department that we're so effective at is taking a concept or an idea from either an engineer or someone in manufacturing and then delivering that technology in race-pace, I would call it. Whereas other organizations, that would take years.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

I think what gets me out of bed in the morning is my drive. I have a real passion for my career so it's really important to me that I come in every day and learn something new or talk to a new person.

We are a small team, so we have to communicate effectively and communicate quickly, but also have great customer service with our stakeholders. Usually in a normal IT department. you have a service desk and then it is hidden away. In Formula One®, it's not like that. You have all sorts of people coming into our office every day.

What’s a key skill or mindset that has helped you thrive in such a fast-paced, high-stakes environment?

I think a key skill to thrive in this environment is the love of change and being agile every day. If you don't like change, you can't thrive, and I think you would get frustrated in this environment. But, that's why I really enjoy it here.

At Circle8, we see coaching, training, and mentorship as key to career growth. Tell us about the importance any of these have played in helping you get here today.

I mean, for my career, it's been fundamental. I've managed to grow to IT Operations Director at Aston Martin Aramco within four years, and I couldn't have done that with the mentorship and the training and the coaching from individuals within the organization, but also people outside of the organization. Being able to learn about different leadership skills and different challenges that other leaders face has been instrumental in being able to shape me as a leader.

Our Total Talent Flow is about recognizing that todays perfect fit might evolve tomorrow. Have you experienced a time at Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team when embracing change led to professional growth?

Totally. I've never been afraid to put my hand up and try something new. I did that through my university degree, jumping into software. And then here at Aston Martin Formula One™, I've done that through delivering software to now becoming IT operations director by putting my hand up and saying, “I think I can do that.”

In fast-paced environments like F1®, HR doesn’t always get credit. But, where have you seen them make a real impact on your career or team?

Using HR and partners like Circle8 are really important for our recruitment process. Because we work in Formula One™, we have many applicants for any role that we advertise. So we just don't have the time as individuals to screen all those applicants. Having a real powerful recruitment department behind us that understands our wants and needs really helps us speed up our recruitment process and get the right people in as quickly as possible.

Can you share an example of how teamwork has helped overcome a challenge within your IT role at Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team?

We are small, so we have to communicate effectively and communicate quickly, but also have great customer service with our stakeholders. Usually, in a normal IT department, you have a service desk and then it is hidden away. In Formula One™, it's not like that. You have all sorts of people coming into our office every day. So it's really important that everyone can communicate effectively and do it with a smile and be happy.

What advice would you give to aspiring IT professionals looking to work for a high-performance team like Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ and a sport like F1®?

It's a competitive sport, so we need people who can make a difference from day one. I think the best way for people aspiring to get into IT roles in Formula One™ is to make sure that they're in fast-paced environments to begin with, and to learn about the technology we use, so you can hit the ground running.

But I really liked telling my story because it shows that the path isn’t always linear. I loved Formula One® as a kid, but was not interested in getting a job in it, because I didn't know how. So I did other things, and then still managed to get into Formula One™ in the long term. I think my story also shows that you don't have to be an engineer or a driver. And I think it's really important to get that message out and get more people involved.