Profile
Alison Benn
My CV
-
Education:
I went to Leicester Grammar School, doing maths, further maths and physics at A level.
I did a year long apprenticeship with the Ministry of Defence, learning how to use all the equipment in a workshop. Studying part time for my basic engineering qualifications.
Then I went to Manchester University. -
Qualifications:
11 O Levels
4 A levels – maths, further maths, physics and economics
BEng in Mechanical Engineering
Diploma in Management
Project Management Qualification -
Work History:
I did a year long apprenticeship with the Ministry of Defence, learning how to use all the equipment in a workshop, before going to University.
As part of the apprenticeship I did placements working with parachutes, helicopters and was loaned out to a car manufacturer.My first job after university was with a company who made corrugated boxes – we made the boxes used to store and transport such products as crisps and pizzas. My main role here was to build a new part to the factory – so I got to see a field be transformed into a fully working factory.
From there I went to work for a brewery – where I qualified as a beer taster and got my basic brewing exams. Here I worked as maintenance engineer – a mixture of fixing the equipment, and looking at ways to stop in breaking in the first place.
Then I moved into pharmaceuticals where I have been for 20 years now. I have had a variety of roles, supporting manufacturing, projects where I have installed new equipment, and introduced new products to the factory.
-
Current Job:
I lead a team who take devices, such as nasal sprays and injections, and add patient information such as leaflets and instruction cards, and then put them into a carton, so that the medicines can safely be transported around the world to patients.
-
About Me:
Engineer who loves cats, football and singing.
-
Read more
I live in Macclesfield with my two cats Kassie & Dilly. We all follow Leicester City football club – Kassie is named after our goalkeeper, and Dilly after a saying of one of our managers. I enjoy gardening, and have my own little veg patch – Dilly likes to keep me company, but Kassie just digs things up! Both cats have not been impressed that my choir is now online and they have to listen to me practice at home since lockdown.
This is my choir outside Abbey Road in London last year. And this is Dilly & Kassie.
-
Read more
I lead a team who take devices, such as nasal sprays and injections, and add patient information such as leaflets and instruction cards, and then put them into a carton, so that the medicines can safely be transported around the world to patients.
My team has lots of roles – we have people who run the packing lines, engineers who maintain and repair the lines, and a small team who help us to make sure that everything we do means that our product is safe for our patients.
We also have experts in packaging, in the IT that helps run the lines and also in safety. It is very important to us that our teams who work for us are safe at all times, both physically and mentally – and that we take care of the environment.
We all work in a clean area – so we spend our days dressed in pyjamas, and paper hats. We also now wear masks to help protect us from COVID 19.
-
My Typical Day:
The area I work in manufactures for 18 hours a day 7 days a week – so we are always busy making sure that everything is in place to allow the manufacture to take place.
-
Read more
My job is a mixture of office work and being out in the manufacturing areas supporting my teams.
All of the time we are in a clean area – so the first thing I do in the morning is change into my plant clothing which is navy pyjamas or scrubs, a pair of steel toe capped white shoes and a paper hat. All of my hair has to be tucked into the hat, and I am not allowed to wear any make up or jewellery. All of this is the protect the medicines we manufacture from the outside world. We are aiming to limit taking anything from our normal lives into work with us – so nothing contaminates the product.
We also wear face masks to help protect us from COVID 19 while we are at work. Because we make medicines we have been working as normal throughout lockdown.
The manufacturing areas start work at 6am, and I get into the office at 8am – so my first task is to check if everyone is OK, and to see how we are running that morning. At 9am we have our area meeting where we all get together and plan for the next 24 hours. We check safety issues, what problems the lines have, where all our paperwork is up to, and how are our people.
There are always problems!! So now the challenge is to support the team in their problem solving. The problem may be that someone has spotted something that is not safe – so that would be the first priority to make sure that is fixed and nobody gets hurt. This may be something like one of the trucks has had an oil leak so we need to make sure it is cleaned up and that the floor is not left slippy. Other typical problems are to do with the packing lines themselves – they may not be producing at all, or they may be damaging the product in some way. We have lots of different equipment so there is plenty of challenge for us to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Because we make medicines everything we produce has to have detailed paperwork which details how we made it, and what we made it out of, along with all the names of everyone who helped make it, and what tasks they did.
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
problem solving wizard
What did you want to be after you left school?
engineer - i wanted to make things
Were you ever in trouble at school?
yes... for silly little things mainly!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
I don't have one - i love most types of music
What's your favourite food?
chocolate and cheese - not togehter
Tell us a joke.
Man walks into a pet shop and asks for 12 bees. The shop owner counts out 13 bees and hands them over. whats with the 13th bee the man asks. that is your freebee the shop owner says...
-