Last month, Optiver hosted a group of talented STEM students as they prepare for the upcoming 2023 European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) in Slovenia. As a proud sponsor of the event, we were honoured to provide the students with an opportunity to connect and share their passion for mathematics.

During the event, Optiver trainers Chris Horrobin and Max Haspels had the honour of presenting the annual ‘Optiver Outstanding Maths Award’ to 17-year-old Allie Zong. The award, introduced in 2021, is handed out to the top Dutch participant and recognises exceptional achievements in mathematics. Allie has been a two-time recipient of the award, winning bronze at EGMO in 2021 and silver at EGMO in 2022. In addition to her impressive EGMO accomplishments, Allie has also received medals at the International Biology Olympiad in Armenia in 2022 and the International Junior Science Olympiad in UAE in 2021.

Allie shared her experience in the Olympiad and the importance of women-focused STEM events: “In order to solve a problem, it’s important that people with diverse mindsets and ideas come together to find the best solution. And it’s through initiatives like EGMO that this diversity can be achieved. By showing girls that there are, in fact, a lot of others like them who are just as interested and motivated in STEM fields. These events bring talented girls together so they can connect with each other, inspire each other and push each other to reach their potential.”

As part of the day’s activities, the EGMO students had the opportunity to sit down with chess grandmaster and Optiver ambassador Anish Giri. During the discussion, they exchanged their approaches and experiences around the similarities between the math olympiad and chess.

Optiver looks forward to continuing to support the growth and development of STEM talent and wishes the students the best of luck in the upcoming EGMO tournament.