We Are Randox | Rugby legends take Randox preventative health message on tour
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This month global healthcare firm Randox Health brought together a wealth of Irish rugby stars, to play as part of a specially-formed squad who will be taking part in a match against the Barbados National Development Team, the Barbados Presidents XV.
The ‘Randox Raiders’ travelled to the Caribbean island ahead of their game on Friday 11th August, for intense training sessions led by Neill Alcorn, Ulster Rugby Development Officer, and to make a number of business visits to laboratories and hospitals across Barbados.
Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Health, commented on the company’s plans for the rugby tour;
“Barbados is globally recognised for providing pioneering and forward-thinking healthcare to its citizens, and Randox has had a long -serving relationship with the country. Our match against the Barbados Presidents XV provides us with the opportunity to network and make valuable new contacts across the island, to highlight our latest health technologies and innovations, and of course to showcase our Randox Health offering, of which our rugby players have each availed.”
Joining the Antrim-headquartered company’s rugby team were former Ulster rugby players Richard Andrew and Alastair Birch, amongst a host of other semi-professional players from around the country. The members of the Randox Rugby team have been following a bespoke health plan, following receipt of the results of their Randox Health Signature programmes.
Offering the most comprehensive and personalised health screening in the world, Randox Health programmes work by testing for hundreds of biomarkers in the blood. This not only reveals a client’s current health status, but is also accurate and sensitive enough to identify any potential health risks in your future – giving you the ability to make smart choices which will keep you healthier for longer.
Dr. FitzGerald continued;
“The way in which we take a whole-body approach to health, instead of looking at isolated sections of the body, is one of the reasons why so many people, even professional athletes, are recognising the benefits of our health screening. Our principal brand ambassador is Sir AP McCoy, the world’s most successful jockey, and there are Olympic athletes, boxers, and of course our Randox rugby players, all happy to share how their Randox Health programme gave them the knowledge they needed to make important changes to their lifestyles. Everyone, even elite athletes, can make improvements to their current and future health by taking a preventive approach and proactive measures. For each of us, through every walk of life, our health is our most important commodity and we must take care of it as best we can.”
On Friday 11th August the Randox Raiders took to the pitch to play their much anticipated match against the Barbados Presidents XV.
We’re delighted to announce that the final score of the game was Barbados Presidents XV 12 vs Randox Raiders 60!
The game showcased some scintillating rugby with a few sensational long range tries scored by both teams. A heavy downpour in 2nd half didn’t dampen the spirits and made for an excellent spectacle of rugby for the crowd that came to support the teams. Congratulations to the Randox Raiders and in particular to man of the match no. 6 Ali Birch!
For more information about the Randox Rugby Team please contact Randox PR on 028 9442 2413 or email randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | Secrets of a Graphic Design Team
Ever wondered what it’s like to be part of the Graphic Design team here at Randox? Well who better to ask than one of our Heads of Design, Caoimhin Magee!
From navigating Illustrator to finding inspiration, collaborating on projects to taking part in creative sessions, and following proofing systems to encouraging professional development, Caoimhin shares all the secrets of one of the most creative departments in our global healthcare company.
Here’s Caiomhin’s story.
When I’m telling people the story of how I came to be Head of Design for such a prestigious company as the sponsor of the Randox Health Grand National, I like to start by saying that there is no one way to become a Graphic Designer.
My background is actually in architecture, which I studied at Queen’s University in Belfast for four years. But I realised that it just wasn’t for me. Although there was a certain element of creativity in my architecture degree, there was also a very heavy focus on maths and physics, and it just wasn’t what I pictured myself doing. I started thinking about changing to a fine arts degree to give me a bit more freedom creatively, but instead of rushing in to making a decision, I took some time out to go travelling across Australia and some of South East Asia.
When I returned home I worked for some time in a printing business in Lurgan, designing and printing a range of stationery for local businesses, and menus for local bars and restaurants.
Then I heard about a Graphic Design course at Shillington College, a design school run by a guy called Andy Shillington. He has schools in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, London, Manchester and New York, and so I made my way over to the Manchester school to begin training to be a Graphic Designer.
Basically, it was the same as an undergraduate degree in Graphic Design…
…but squeezed into an intense three months. Everyone studying there had come from different backgrounds and career disciplines but we all started at the same point, learning everything you needed to know to work in the Graphic Design industry – perfecting different design techniques and getting to grips with a range of design software.
Then at the end we were each awarded a Certificate of Education, which is recognised by major design organisations, like Adobe. We all graduated and showcased our work at a Graduate Show in Shillington, which was attended by some really big names in the design community. London might be the most obvious city choice for a design career in the UK, but Manchester is very quickly catching up. There’s a real creative hub there and so on the night of my graduation there some really prestigious designers flicking through my portfolio. I was lucky enough to secure some great freelance work in Manchester and Liverpool after I graduated.
But then I heard about a design job with Randox and it allowed me the opportunity to move back home and to secure a fulltime job.
What’s so great about working here is that you go in, and effectively you’re just given your own brand to make as exciting as you can. You’re immediately given the responsibility and trust that you would only get after working in an agency for several years. Whether you work on the design for Randox Reagents, or Randox Biosciences, or Randox Toxicology, you can go in and put your own stamp on that division.
I always make sure therefore, when talking to designers who are considering coming to work for us, to highlight that there are no Junior Designers in Randox. Everyone works on an equal pegging and we all support each other.
When I moved up to Head of Design here in Randox there were a few new policies that I introduced to improve this sense of collaboration. Even though we each work on our own unique and independent Randox product division, I requested a redesign of the marketing and design office space, so that our designers were each paired off with each other.
Each designer therefore sits beside another designer and we can all keep track of each other’s work and projects, so that we keep a certain level of consistency under the parent brand of Randox. Working in this way also allows us to take inspiration from each other and help complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
For example, our Motion Graphics Designer Anthony obviously has a very particular skillset, so he’s helping me improve my talents in that area. In turn I’m helping him develop his abilities in our Illustrator software because that’s where my own strengths lie.
I’ve also introduced a Design Studio where the work of our designers is showcased for everyone to see. Not only does it instil a sense of pride in our work by using it to decorate the office, and showing it to our colleagues, but again it helps us keep track of what other designers are currently working on and makes sure we’re each using the correct typefaces and established colour schemes. It’s the final stage of the proofing system when we finally see the finished piece of artwork up on the wall for everyone to see.
In the Design Studio you can really see the eclectic mix of projects on which we get to work. It ranges from virtual reality video, to app design, to brochures for global events like AACC, the American Association of Clinical Chemistry. There is such variety in what we do and there’s always a new challenge to put your hand to. Randox is the perfect place to be if you want to grow your skillset.
Working here also provides us with the opportunity to develop key business skills in the design market. Relationship building with printers for example, is key, and we do that pretty much every day here. I honestly can’t think of anywhere else that offers the same level of professional development as Randox.
I’m very proud of the team we now have in place here. We all work really well together and are making such good progress in our own capabilities and confidence. We even have a Summer Placement Student, Katie, currently working with us, who is really impressing everybody with her ability and enthusiasm.
I’m sure that the Graphic Design team at Randox will continue to grow and develop, and I can’t wait to see where the coming months and years will take us.
For more We Are Randox stories about our amazing colleagues, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
For current vacancies in our team, visit careers.randox.com
Pictured above: The Randox Graphic Design Team
Front row left to right: Anne Smith, Katie McLernon, Melissa Hull
Middle row left to right: Elizabeth Moran, Amy Fekkes, Anthony Heaney
Back row left to right: Niall McCafferty, Maxwell Brown, Colm Douglas, Caoimhin Magee
We Are Randox | James Crilly’s adventures in Zambia
This week our WeAreRandox feature is a story from James Crilly, one of our QC Marketing Executives. Before James came to work in Randox he travelled to Misisi as part of Project Zambia. James took some time out to reflect on his Zambian adventure and tell us a little bit about what he got up to.
“Back when I attended St Mary’s Grammar school in Belfast I applied to take part in Project Zambia. It’s a Belfast based registered charity that first started up in 2002 by Dr Donaldson from St Marys CBGS Belfast. The aim of project Zambia is to help support and empower host communities to develop solutions to their problems and difficulties.
“Dr Donaldson had been my RE teacher and had always entertained during lessons with videos, pictures and old stories of Zambia. So when I finally reached Upper Sixth and had the opportunity to apply to take part in Project Zambia I jumped at it. We were told at the time that those with the best AS results would be given first priority. The next day at assembly they called out the names of the 13 students who had been chosen and thankfully I made the cut. We teamed up with thirteen other students from St Dominic’s Girls’ School and started to prepare for our journey together that Easter.
“As part of the process we each had to raise £1500 that would go towards our flights, hostels, food and equipment. One of the first ideas I had was to complete a 10K run at Shaw’s bridge. However on the day of the run there was snow! I decided I would go ahead with the fundraiser despite the weather and turned the 10K run into a 10K walk. I organised church talks in my local parish where I spoke to the local community about Project Zambia. There was a lot of interest and I managed to raise £2500 which I put straight into my ‘Zambia Funds’ piggybank. One lady who came up to me after the mass donated £500 which was amazing. I also did a 24 hour fast and my old primary school ‘Holy Trinity’ hosted a non-uniform day which raised £450.
“I remember being surprised when we touched down in Zambia airport to see how developed it was. When you think about Zambia the first thing that comes to mind is poverty but the airport was quite surprising. It wasn’t like Heathrow airport but there were a couple of shops, you could get a coffee and they had different terminals. It was worlds apart from where we were going to be.
“When we arrived in Lusaka, Zambia one of the first places we went was called Misisi. This was a slum that could be found right along a railway track. Misisi has been identified as one of the five worst slums in Sub-Saharan Africa so it isn’t hard to imagine the horrific scenes we encountered here. I can honestly say it’s probably one of the worst places I have ever seen with sewage, rubbish and urine everywhere. But right in the middle of it is a little school called St Catherine’s which housed all the children from the Misisi area. The school was literally just a couple of small buildings and right around the buildings was a stone wall with a huge cast iron gate. When we asked why such a rundown area would go to such measures we were told it was built to stop men from getting in and kidnapping the children for prostitution.
“Finding this out really shocked us and we decided to help the school appear more child friendly and welcoming for the children. We painted all the classrooms, hung up numbers pictures and those who were artistic drew images of Disney characters on the classroom walls. We also built a toilet because if the children needed to go to the bathroom they had to go out the back and into a small brick shelter that had a small little bucket. Once they had finished they had to throw the content in the bucket down a hole which ran out into the compound adding to the horrific smell and unsanitary conditions.
“Another place that we visited was ‘The Home of Hope’ which was just outside Misisi and was made up of two large metal containers and run by a priest called Brother Isaac. It housed boys who were anything between 6 months old to 18 years old and there were about 40 children in total there. There was one classroom and one bedroom which had six bunk beds in it. You got about two children to each bunk and the rest had to sleep on the floor. As you can imagine there was rivalry between the children to see who got to sleep in the bunk beds and usually the older children over-ruled the younger children.
“While there we helped put the finishing touches to the roof of the school they were building and cleaned up the surrounding area. It was overrun with weeds and high grass which wasn’t really safe for the children. We wanted them to be able to play safely on the grounds and if they fell and hurt themselves they wouldn’t have access to any medical supplies. I was here for about four days and really got the opportunity to interact with all the kids. They were interested in sports and loved playing football with us. So one afternoon we went into the nearest shopping centre and bought them basketball hoops, footballs, football nets, basketball nets board games, chalks and pencils which they loved.
“Another memory I have of being there was attending the funeral of the son of Peter Tembo, co-founder of Project Zambia. There were 100s and 100s of Zambian people there and only about 20 of us from the school. They called us ‘Mazungus’ which means white person. It might seem strange to say it was a privilege to attend the funeral but this was very much unheard of in Zambia. White people didn’t get asked to come along to local funerals which shows the high regard that they had for Project Zambia and its volunteers. The white people who live in Zambia live behind guarded 15 foot high walls and razor sharp barbed wire. They have golf courses and swimming pools and live in a completely different world from the local Zambian people. The locals would have never have seen the light of day in their territory. You would know who had money and who didn’t even among the Zambians by whether or not they had hair. A lot of people had shaved heads due to head lice and had no shoes and dirty rags on their back.
“One of the last places I went to was Kabwata Orphanage which was run by two nuns. Here there were about 70 children who had either been abandoned by their family or had none. We did a bit of DIY work which involved putting up bunkbeds, chests of drawers and paintings. Here I had the pleasure of meeting one little guy called Mosses who came to Kabwata Orphanage when he was only one years old. He had been abandoned and left on the roadside in a moses basket and that’s how he got his name. He’s now sixteen and doing really well in school. He has high aspirations for the future and possibly could be become a teacher which is a career that is looked upon highly in Zambia.
“On Easter Saturday before we left we stayed in a hostel and about half a mile away, there was a large church. One day we decided to go and check it out and as we were walking up to it you could hear music and people singing. Once we turned the corner of the church I saw a sea of thousands of Zambians: there were men beating on drums and women dressed in their Sunday best, waving palms and dancing and singing, creating waves of colour below me. It was sight I will never forget. These people had literally nothing but yet were so happy and welcoming to us. We got to join in on the celebration which was amazing and I would honestly go back tomorrow if I got the chance.
“My little brother Owen is going over on 27th June for ten days so I decided to help him out by doing a bun sale in Randox. I was up till midnight the night before baking and we raised £243.89 which was great. He’s also going to be doing a 10K run at Black Mountain and a non-uniform day in his old primary school. I had saved about £200 from when I went to Zambia because I knew one day he would go himself. I kept it in a little red container and my mum hid it in her room so no-one could get to it. He said he might shave his head but that depends on how well the rest of the fundraising goes! I’ll make sure to keep you updated on that one.”
For more information about fundraising at Randox please contact randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | Randox Runners raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society in the Belfast City Marathon
Yesterday we had two Randox teams compete in the Belfast City Marathon, in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society.
Suzanne Smillie, Fintan Geoghegan, Ciaran Orchin, Ashleigh McKinstry and Rebecca Molloy made up The Incredible Immunoglobins team. They finished in a fantastic time of 4:23:45, in 1074th position.
Katie Lawther, Maeve McAllister, Michael Thompson, Chloe Carlin and Mark Spence ran as The Marvellous Monoclonals and finished in an impressive 4:02:28, which put them into 560th position.
We are delighted to announce that so far both teams have collectively raised a fabulous £566.64 for The Alzheimer’s Society, with donations continuing to flood in!
A huge congratulations to both teams for taking on this amazing challenge and for raising so much money for such a worthwhile cause.
Upon completing the marathon, Team Captain of the Marvellous Monoclonals, Katie Lawther told us;
“The race was fantastic, the hot weather made it tough going but it was much better than rain! The atmosphere was electric in the whole city with the streets lined with people cheering every runner on.
“During the first 3 legs the two teams ran together, and then within the last two legs my team clinched the victory! On the day though we were just glad everyone finished and ran so well, it felt like everyone had won so that was an amazing feeling. There were also a few other people running for Alzheimer’s Society which was great to see.
“After the race we all met at the finish line to collect our medals, and then we all headed to eat lunch in Stranmillis along the river which was really lovely. An amazing part of my day was seeing Laura Graham coming over the finish line, she is the first Northern Irish winner in 18 years!”
The Incredible Immunoglobulins Team Captain, Suzanne Smillie, commented;
“None of us can believe how lucky we were with the weather – though there are a few burnt scientists around the Firfields site today, myself included!
“The race went very well (aside from a little changeover confusion at the start of Leg 4 for The Incredible Immunoglobulins – Fintan and I could not find each other which lead to a separation between the two teams who, until that point, were neck and neck). The Marvellous Monoclonals won the battle completing the 26.2 mile course in just over four hours.
“I would like to say a big thank you for everybody’s support at Randox, and for your donations. It is very much appreciated.”
If you would still like to donate to our Marathon Runner’s Just Giving page you can do so by clicking on the link below:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TheMarvellousMonoclonalsandTheIncredibleImmunoglobulins
Thank you for your generosity.
We Are Randox | The Marvellous Monoclonals and The Incredible Immunoglobulins go head-to-head in the Belfast City Marathon in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Liverpool and Everton.
Sport has produced some of history’s greatest rivalries.
But none of them will compare to Monday 1st May 2017 when Randox rivals The Marvellous Monoclonals, and The Incredible Immunoglobins go head-to-head during the much-anticipated, 42km-long Belfast City Marathon, to raise funds for The Alzheimer’s Society.
We chatted to the two team captains ahead of the big race to hear what they think about their chances of victory.
Suzanne Smillie, Team Captain, The Incredible Immunoglobins
What made you decide to pull together a team to run The Belfast Marathon?
Suzanne: We all work in the Biotechnology department but across three separate teams – Monoclonal Development, Monoclonal Production and the Polyclonal team. So although we all work in the same division of the company we don’t all necessarily know each other. So I thought teaming up to do the Belfast Marathon together would be good way to get to know each other, to put some faces to names and to do a bit of team building.
Who’s in your team?
Suzanne: In my team I have myself, Fintan Geoghegan, Ciaran Orchin, Ashleigh McKinstry and Rebecca Molloy.
How did you decide which leg of the race each runner is going to do?
Suzanne: It was a bit of a negotiation really, just trying to figure out who wanted to do what! I have actually run in the Belfast Marathon relay event before so I was happy to let those who hadn’t done it before pick first.
What training have you been doing in preparation for the race?
Suzanne: We each started at different stages and have each had a different experience during our training. Rebecca in my team had never run before at all but has really taken an interest in the past month. I think she has a pretty addictive personality – she told me that she is now running 3 times a week with her boyfriend! She must be enjoying it because she told me that she thinks she’s going to keep it up even after we complete the marathon.
Do any of you have any previous running or marathon experience?
Suzanne: Some of the boys do a bit of running in their spare time, and Ciaran is really sporty. He plays GAA and is definitely the most athletic out of all of us. Chloe on Katie’s team also plays a lot of hockey.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge you will be faced with on Monday?
Suzanne: There’s rain and potential snow forecast for Monday! Rebecca says she’d rather have a bit of refreshing rain than too much heat but I’m just worried about having the wind beating against my face! From running the marathon before I know that it’s really difficult to run against the wind.
Who is your team’s fastest runner?
Suzanne: Ciaran will be the fastest!
Who is the most competitive runner?
Suzanne: Without a doubt Fintan is the most competitive runner. He’s running against Michael in the other team and they are good friends, working in the same lab, so they’ll be quite competitive running directly against each other.
Ashleigh and Mark will also be quite competitive when they run against each other in the last leg, the glory leg. On Facebook Ashleigh wrote “Eat my dust!” to him!
Has there been anyone not pulling their weight and needs to up their training over the weekend?
Suzanne: I’m going to up my fundraising game over the weekend by hosting a fundraiser on Sunday night with my choir!
What makes you think you’re going to win?
Suzanne: We’re a shorter team so we’re more aerodynamic.
Have you been keeping track of the other team’s training regimes and progress?
Suzanne: Rebecca has been nominated as my official team spy and I have sent her out in her car to follow the other team when they’re running.
I myself have a very particular set of skills. I’m a champion Facebook creeper and have been following the other team’s updates and statuses to make sure they aren’t sneaking in a cheeky set of press-ups in the tearoom on their lunch breaks.
Any hiccups along the way?
Suzanne: Ciaran had a hamstring injury and Maeve got a clicky hip but thankfully nobody has suffered anything too serious!
What are you most looking forward to about the race?
Suzanne: Having done the marathon before I know that being there is just the most incredible experience. The feeling of being part of something bigger than you is a wonderful feeling and it’s truly special to be one of the thousands of people who come together to do something for other people less fortunate than us.
Regardless of the weather we’ll know that we’re doing something for the benefit of others and that’s a great feeling.
Anyone you think might be a sore loser?
Suzanne: Fintan! We’re all in agreement on that one. Possibly Ashleigh as well if Mark beats her during the last leg.
Any forfeits for the losing team?
Suzanne: Rebecca had a good idea that we could get the other team to calibrate our pipettes for a month if we win. Or that they have to take out our clinical waste for us.
But eventually we landed on them making us our lunch every day for a month.
Katie Lawther, Team Captain, The Marvellous Monoclonals
How did you pick who was going to be in your team?
Katie: It was a totally random draw! We put names in a hat and just made sure that the teams were equally weighted with two men and three women in each.
Who’s in your team?
Katie: There’s Maeve McAllister, Michael Thompson, Chloe Carlin, Mark Spence and myself.
How did you decide which leg of the race each runner is going to do?
Katie: Some people knew which leg they wanted to run and others didn’t mind. In my team specifically, Maeve had taken part in the relay before and had run the first leg, so she wanted to do it again because she had enjoyed it the last time. She enjoys being at the starting line!
How did you decide which charity to run for?
Katie: I asked everyone if they had any particular charities they were passionate about, because I’m very passionate about The Alzheimer’s Society myself. My Granny, who helped to raise me alongside my mum, was diagnosed with it when I was younger and so I ended up helping to care for her with my mum and sister.
When I told people that I’d like us to run in aid of The Alzheimer’s Society it turned out that other people had personal experiences with it too. Maeve’s friend’s father passed away from Alzheimer’s when was he quite young and so she likes to fundraise for it when she can.
I think everyone has been affected by it in some form or another so we were all in agreement that it was the charity to go for.
We’re also actively involved in research and development into Alzheimer’s disease here in the Randox Biotechnology team so it just felt like the perfect fit.
What training have you been doing in preparation for the race?
Katie: We’ve each trained according to our own needs and schedules. Michael in my team has been training for months because he wouldn’t be a natural runner yet he has one of the longest legs of the race. Personally I’ve been swimming a couple of times a week to improve my fitness.
Do you think your teamwork in the lab will help you work as a team during the marathon?
Katie: Maeve and I are best friends in work so I’m really going to enjoy the moment Maeve passes the baton over to me. When I see her coming I’m going to be cheering her on!
Do any of you have any previous running or marathon experience?
Katie: Ciaran is the sportiest out of all of us but unfortunately he’s on the other team! I imagine he will be Suzanne’s secret weapon…
Who is your team’s fastest runner?
Katie: Definitely Maeve! She’s going to do it for the girls.
Who is the most competitive runner?
Katie: In my team Mark is pretty competitive, and certainly has been with regards to fundraising. He’s on Facebook every single night promoting our team and bringing in the donations. He wants to have raised the most money!
Has there been anyone not pulling their weight and therefore needs to up their training over the weekend?
Katie: Maeve and I are going to have one final push on our training over the weekend. Between the two of us we make up the Organising Committee for the teams and so we’ve spent quite a lot of time fussing and arranging rather than training!
What makes you think you’re going to win?
Katie: Suzanne seems to think our team is taller than hers and we are therefore less aerodynamic. Personally it’s the first time I’ve ever been called tall so I’ll take it!
Our long giraffe-like limbs will help us win.
Any sabotage going on?
Katie: Ciaran brought in a 5KG bag of M&Ms a few days ago and strategically left them on the desk I share with Maeve. He’s been trying to fatten us up!
Maeve naively thought that he was trying to give us a nice energy boost but I saw the sabotage for what it really was.
What are you most looking forward to about the race?
Katie: I know I speak on behalf of everyone in my team when I say that we’re all looking forward to meeting up at the finishing line, watching Mark and Ashleigh finish the final leg, cheering them on and finishing the marathon together as a team.
I’m also looking forward to seeing our fundraising total after all the hard work we’ve done. We’ll do an official handover to the Alzheimer’s Society with the help of the Randox Internal Communications team.
It will be such a special moment handing over our well-earned funds to such a worthwhile cause.
Any forfeits for the losing team?
Katie: We want to do a lab swap like when Monica and Rachel swap apartments with Joey and Chandler!
Any celebration plans for when the race is over?
Katie: We’re all going to go to Cutter’s Wharf for a celebratory meal together. We’re all very much looking forward to it.
Our two marathon teams will join 17,500 runners taking part in the race on Bank Holiday Monday and will together be raising funds for the very worthy Alzheimer’s society, the only UK charity investing in research into dementia care, cause, cure and prevention.
In 2015/16, for every £1 received by The Alzheimer’s Society, 89p was directly spent on improving the lives of people with dementia. The other 11p goes towards generating future income.
We’re very proud that our marathon runners are taking on this incredible challenge in the name of such an amazing charity and wish them all the very best.
It doesn’t matter who finishes first in the race, you are all winners in our eyes! Good luck!
To donate to our Marathon Teams’ fundraising efforts please click the link below to visit their Just Giving Fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TheMarvellousMonoclonalsandTheIncredibleImmunoglobulins
For more information about fundraising at Randox please contact randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | Climbing the career ladder: full time job offer for placement student Glenny
This week we were invited to chat with Glenny Crymble, who works in the purchasing and finance department here in Randox headquarters in Crumlin. Glenny, who came to us last year as a placement student, is now employed by Randox on a part time basis as she works towards her final year studying business studies at Ulster University.
“I first joined Randox in September 2015 when I was looking for a placement opportunity as part of my degree. I heard of Randox through my University and I was able to apply through our careers’ website. It was quite hard to find a placement that was related to what I was studying so I was thrilled when I got an interview for Randox. It’s rare to get such a great opportunity to work within an international company, especially within the diagnostics industry. I know that a lot of my friends were unable to secure a placement which is such a shame because it really gives you a great insight into the working world and is a wonderful opportunity to learn and develop.
“I was a little nervous when I started because it was all quite new to me but I settled in pretty soon. I was originally supposed to be working in the logistics department but I was moved to purchasing which I was really pleased with as this is really where my interests lie. Before I started I was given some training so I was comfortable with what was expected of me. On a day to day basis I was sourcing suppliers, placing orders, putting on invoices, paying invoices, doing stocktakes, forming quotations and responding to email queries and questions.
“I know within some placement opportunities you are mainly shadowing people, but at Randox it’s been really hands on which I have loved and you really get the experience. There is also the opportunity to travel if that interests you. I was offered the opportunity to do a little work in Manchester and other colleagues worked at times in Poland, Korea, India and the USA.
“Purchasing was quite a fast paced environment to be working in especially with the opening of the new state-of-the-art Randox Science Park in the former Massereene Barracks. There were floods of orders coming in from the labs which involved a lot of hard work and great teamwork but it was such a good experience and I really learnt a lot from the people around me. Everybody was really helpful and friendly from the moment I started.
“Now I’m working in the finance department. There is a great atmosphere – everyone gets along with one another and we all have a good sense of humour. It’s an open plan office with lots of windows the whole way around so when I first started they told me they call it the fish bowl office as everyone looks in at us which was quite funny. I am really enjoying it so far and now that I have had experience working in the two different departments I know I prefer the finance side of things. I think it get it from my dad as he’s an accountant and a lot of my family work in finance. My main tasks include working on financial statements, evaluating assets and grant work which involves putting in claims for R&D projects.
“Currently I’m deciding whether or not I want to undertake my accountancy exams to become a chartered accountant. The team have really encouraged me to do so as they have such high aspirations for me so I feel more confident in myself and my manager helped me a lot with my placement report.
“I was delighted when Randox asked me to stay on a part-time basis as an Account Executive after my placement year was up- it was a great surprise. I work two days a week now and Randox are really flexible if there is a day that I can’t work due to university commitments.
“I think my placement year helped confirm that I prefer working in finance and helped me pick my optional modules for final year. I picked accountancy modules including financial sector accountancy and total quality management because I knew from working at Randox that I would enjoy these the most. I think if I hadn’t have got a placement I would have been unsure which avenue of work to go down. My placement also really helped me with my dissertation in terms of financial terminology, balance sheets and financial statements. It was based on the Tesco accountancy scandal which was very interesting.
“I would definitely recommend Randox to other placement students, it’s a great place to work. They also have a graduate program for people who have only just graduated. It is rotational, so if like me, you are unsure which avenue you want to pursue, it allows you to work within the different departments to see which you enjoy the most.
“Each year they hold an awards ceremony for placement students, with the top three placement students from each discipline including science, engineering and business being rewarded for their outstanding contributions. I was lucky enough to be one of the nominees last year. It’s great that the company recognises the work that placement students do and you feel a sense of pride working for Randox.
“Once I graduate in June I am going to continue to work with Randox full time so I am excited to start my career. It’s been a great learning curve, I feel that I have become more confident and I hope that I can continue to learn and develop with Randox throughout my career.”
If you are interested in joining our global team make sure that you check out Randox careers website to see what new opportunities we have for you.
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We Are Randox | Kathleen Keery named Randox Employee of the Year 2016 at the 3rd Annual Manufacturing Awards Dinner
Randox Packing Department Team Member Kathleen Keery has been named Randox Employee of the Year 2016.
Her award was announced on Friday 24th February 2017, when 139 staff from 34 manufacturing departments of Randox gathered together at The Templeton Hotel in Templepatrick, to connect with colleagues and celebrate the success of their teams at the annual Randox Manufacturing Awards Dinner.
John Campbell, Senior Manager began the evening with his opening address, and thanked all attendees for their hard work;
“Each year our manufacturing department grows in strength and this is thanks to the people working in it. I am proud to be standing here to recognise our collective capabilities as a team and to celebrate our hard work – with good food and great company.”
Lean Co-Ordinator, Mark Campbell then shared an overview of the year’s manufacturing successes, and looked forward to the activities for the year ahead.
On the night, the following awards were presented:
- Employee of the Month October 2016 was awarded to Jeanette Robb within our Packing Department.
- Employee of the Month November 2016 was won by Lisa McHendry of our Conjugate / Antibody Production Team.
- December 2016’s Employee of the Month was Gareth Bushe of Randox Speciality Controls.
- The Randox Logistics Department was then named as Department of the Year 2016.
Following the presentation of these awards, all attention turned to Senior Manager John Campbell to announce the prestigious Employee of the Year Award 2016.
We are delighted to be able to share that this award went to Kathleen Keery of our Packing Department.
Kathleen commented;
“I am beyond proud to be able to say that I am Randox Employee of the Year 2016. I work in such a talented and hard-working team at Randox, so I know there must have been fierce competition! It was an incredible honour to be able to receive this award surrounded by my colleagues and friends and I would like to thank everybody who has congratulated me over the past number of days. All the work we do at Randox is truly a team effort and so my award is as much for my team members within the Packing Department as it is for me. I wouldn’t be able to do my job without them!”
John Campbell closed the night by congratulating Kathleen, and the Logistics team;
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our award winners this evening – particularly the Logistics Team and Kathleen Keery – and to thank you all for the important part you play in making Randox a global leader in the diagnostics industry – manufacturing our products that we distribute all over the globe. Let’s look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2017 together, and I hope you enjoy the evening!”
For more information about the Manufacturing Awards please contact Randox PR by email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
