When our work and community interests firmly align, there is a strong chance that we will feel very fulfilled.

 Alex Cook is in a fortunate position working in an excellent career with a supportive employer, all while exploring her community-focused passions on a regular basis.  

Alex is a very people and process-orientated person. She is driven, curious, and most of all, she is incredibly active. Alex thoroughly enjoys her work and thrives on its ongoing people and process improvement focus. 

As a Solution Architect within the Siemens Healthineers Enterprise Services team, Alex Cook is responsible for working with the company's customers, listening to their challenges and understanding their long-term strategy.

"I am responsible for leading customer engagement to create bespoke, long-term, performance-orientated collaborative partnerships aligned with both organisations strategic vision," explains Alex. "I am fortunate to work in a very central role within Siemens Healthineers where I formulate these solutions for our customers leveraging the wide breadth of my organisation’s offerings combining innovative technologies, clinical understanding, and operational excellence. My role is to bring them to life in co-creation with our customers."

Alex's work could, for example, involve providing a strategic asset replacement plan for a large NHS trust, through to creating a new Community Diagnostic Centre.

"No two days or projects are the same, and it enables me to work closely with all different groups within the hospitals and various groups across Siemens Healthineers."

Importantly, Alex suggests that "There is a role for everyone at Siemens Healthineers. Everyone has a place at the forefront of medicine."

Moving from the public to private sector

Since secondary school, Alex knew that she wanted to be a radiographer and knew about Siemens as a company. "I grew up in Oxfordshire near the magnet factory and actually worked there temporarily one summer in an administration role before becoming a radiographer. I decided after leaving my first degree that I wanted to see what it was like and worked as a healthcare assistant in my local hospital in imaging. I was then seconded through university to become a radiographer," says Alex.

Alex specialised in a clinical area at the time, and this enabled her to progress into management. In her journey through junior management, Alex's focus was on patients' and staff safety. Instead of doing an MBA, Alex decided to study a Master of Science (MSc) in Patient Safety. This happened to be a useful opportunity because the COVID-19 pandemic had just started and so it enabled Alex to think differently and make sure her staff and patients were safe.

Alex's role was significant. She set up and mobilised the imaging department and services, and operationally managed while working clinically. This work condensed everything she had learned in her career to date, and drew her into a fully functional imaging department ready for all eventualities. "I had a brilliant team who worked extremely well together even though we had never met each other before," says Alex.

"My role at NHS England enabled me to apply everything I had learnt through my career as a radiographer to help move forward and highlight imaging as a pinnacle part of a patient's journey," she explains.

Deciding to move from the NHS to industry wasn’t an easy decision for Alex. The NHS had provided her with an excellent career to date and key experiences that enabled her to grow into the professional colleague she is today. "Moving to my role at Siemens Healthineers enables me to again work back with hospital departments and to help create a department, hospital or pathway that is very patient centric, one whereby staff have input through from the beginning to the end. My focus is all about collaboration and partnership and sharing ideas and making them possible and individual to every department," explains Alex.

In the future, Alex is looking to continue her work making sure patients receive the highest quality of care at the right time, by the right people, and ensuring that hospital environments are forward-thinking, using the best technology, and are a great place to work and receive treatment.

A friendly and supportive culture at Siemens Healthineers

Alex suggests that the work culture at Siemens Healthineers is very friendly and supportive. "Everyone is on a journey together. Within my team, everyone has a voice and is respected for their views and ideas. Although there is a management structure, it is flattened and this means that we all feel that we can work together for a common goal," explains Alex.

When asked what she might you say to further women considering a role with Siemens Healthineers and identifying what skills and qualities tend to be most valued at the company, Alex suggests that there is a strong, dynamic and energetic female workforce present at Siemens Healthineers. "Siemens Healthineers enables you to be your authentic self. The company really enhances everyone’s strong points, and we all learn from each other in areas that we can constantly improve in."

A great piece of career advice

Alex suggests that the best piece of career advice that she has been given is "No is not the end, it is just the beginning."

"My abilities before coming to Siemens Healthineers have always been questioned, whether that is my academic abilities, my age, or sadly being a woman. If you really believe you can, and you want to, do something, then there is always a way to get there. Having supporters or mentors has certainly helped me, but it is having the motivation and trying things a bit differently that has always worked well for me."

Community focused activity outside of work

"I never sit still outside of work, and I have always been focused on giving back to the community where I live through the Good Samaritans app. I was also part of the volunteer vaccination crew through COVID-19," says Alex.

Alex now volunteers as a crew member at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Chiswick station. This enables Alex to use both her clinical and problem-solving skills and to further develop a wide range of new skills like looking after a diesel engine or knot tying. 

"Having always been on the water through windsurfing or rowing, I value that the RNLI do really important work to make the River Thames safe for everyone using it. They provide a 24/7 emergency service to anyone, or anything, that finds themselves in difficulty. Every shift is different, and I am very proud to be a part of the crew."

"I am also undertaking 40 charity challenges before I am 40," says Alex. "These are exciting challenges, and all are for charities that are particularly relevant to my friends and families," says Alex.

So far, Alex has completed 16 challenges including running from London to Brighton, trekking with CoppaFeel, hiking parts of the Tour du Mont Blanc, and running in the London Marathon for the Guide Dogs charity.

"Next I'm running the Thames Path from Putney to Henley, and then I'm climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Plus there are so many more exciting challenges to come!" she says.

Forging a perfect work life balance 

Alex thoroughly enjoys her career and her ongoing charitable efforts, and she knows that working for a supportive employer like Siemens Healthineers is key.

Let's watch this space as Alex's career soars and her passion for highly active community challenges continues to impress.

Siemens Healthineers is an excellent career choice

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