FIA sack head of inclusion & diversity in restructure
Formula 1's governing body the FIA has sacked the latest in a series of senior figures after eradicating the role of head of sustainability, diversity and inclusion.Sara Mariani wrote a note that appeared to be critical of the body's leadership as she left the FIA on Wednesday.Mariani, who had been head of sustainability, diversity and inclusion for just 18 months, wrote: "There is a life outside the FIA. A life where talent and dedication are rewarded. Where women in leadership positions can thrive, feel valued and respected."Her role was removed as part of an internal restructure that split her responsibilities across two separate divisions.The FIA has been contacted for comment on the specific allegations made by Maraini in her note, which was on her email out-of-office.Mariani was unavailable for comment.An FIA statement said it was moving sustainability under the remit of the secretary general for mobility, Willem Groenewald, and diversity and inclusion under senior human resources director Alessandra Malhame.It said this would "allow the FIA to combine its internal and external efforts on D&I"Mariani was recruited over an eight-month period through 2023 and took on her role in December of that year.The FIA statement said that the decision to remove her role had been taken "following a period of review".Mariani is the second major FIA figure to leave this year, following the resignation of the deputy president for sport, Robert Reid, in April. And it marks the continuation of a trend under the presidency of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is running for re-election this year and is so far unopposed.In the past year, Sulayem has sacked the FIA's head of compliance Paolo Basarri, the head of the audit committee Bertrand Badre and committee member Tom Purves, the FIA's chief executive officer Natalie Robyn, F1 race director Niels Wittich, senior F1 steward Tim Mayer and deputy Formula 2 race director Janette Tan. These departures come against the backdrop of a series of changes to the FIA statutes introduced by Sulayem, which critics say reduce accountability and good governance and enhance the president's authority.The latest changes, voted through at last week's FIA General Assembly with a huge majority, were characterised by one opponent as being an example of a "dark period of democratic backsliding". Sulayem has been the centre of a series of controversies since he was elected, including the emergence of misogynistic remarks on a historic website.In seeking to justify those remarks in December 2023, external, Sulayem pointed to his setting up of the FIA's commission for equality, diversity and inclusion as evidence of a strong track record on the subject.He also mentioned that he had been the first president to appoint a female CEO. Robyn lasted the same period of time in her role as did Mariani.
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