What makes Randox the successful, innovative and forward-thinking company it is today are the passionate, hard-working and talented staff we’re lucky enough to call our colleagues.

Our staff are our best asset and across every division our team help to save lives – whether it be designing the newest Biochip to test for Alzheimer’s disease, developing the latest software for use in hospitals and universities, making food safer for people to eat, or managing our global offices, to ensure our pioneering health technologies make their way across the world to where they are needed the most.

Our headquarters are in Northern Ireland, but we have teams based all over the world, including in Portugal, where Cristina Zenha works as part of the Portuguese Finance Team.

2017 is a special year for Cristina.  It marks 25 years since she began her job with Randox.

We sat down with Cristina to ask her about her time with us, to find out how she thinks the company has changed during that time, and of course to congratulate her on her exciting milestone!

Here’s Cristina’s story.

 

My name is Cristina Zenha and I work in the Finance team in Randox Portugal in Oporto.

 For those of you who don’t know the area, the weather is very good here in Oporto. It’s not very cold in winter, nor is it very hot in summer. It’s just right!  During the summer I love going to the Algarve for my holidays. There are beautiful beaches and the weather is excellent, so it’s a very popular holiday destination for both the Portuguese and for tourists.

In Portugal, Randox is based in Oporto City, which as one of the oldest tourist destinations in Europe, has a wonderful artistic heritage. The Port Wine, the vast spaces dedicated to leisure and culture, and the relaxed way of life are just some of the reasons I would recommend visiting the city!

We also have excellent cuisine here in Portugal.  Seafood is very popular and we have several famous cod recipes.  In Oporto specifically, we have a very famous dish called Francesinha, which is a Portuguese sandwich made with bread, ham, fresh sausage and steak, covered with melted cheese and a hot thick tomato and beer sauce, and served with french fries.

Before I moved into the world of full-time work I worked in my parents’ grocery store, which sparked my interest in business.  Then I began my first serious job in Randox Portugal when I was only 19 years old, and studied part-time Business Management in Oporto Lusiada University.  I took my university classes in the evening to work around my job with Randox.

When I had my interview I had a really good feeling about Randox.  I could tell that this company, which was only just beginning to establish itself in Portugal, was going to go far.  I could see myself developing both personally and professionally in what was evidently a globally successful organisation. I knew I would learn a lot.

When I started my job with Randox in Oporto I was involved in processing orders, documenting stock, and organising customer invoices and receipts.  However in the 25 years I’ve worked here, my job, and the office itself have evolved and changed.  My current responsibilities have progressed to additionally include office finances and accounts, and I also manage the logistics of our site.

How we work in the team has also changed drastically.  I remember when I first started in 1992 there were no computers so everything was done manually. I had a typewriter to make invoices, receipts and letters. We created manual maps for everything and we updated everything manually.

The team itself has more than doubled in size, in spite of a number of economic crises in Portugal during that period.  The infrastructure in Randox, and its offering of highly innovative diagnostics has meant that demand for our products has continued to increase. We have a fantastically passionate team in place who all want to see the business succeed and everyone works together to bring next-generation healthcare to hospitals and laboratories across Portugal.

I think that’s one of the reasons I love my job so much.  Each member of the team here has an important role to play and we each contribute to Randox’s vision of saving lives.  It’s fast-paced and challenging, but that’s what I love. I like the structure in place and I enjoy the satisfaction that comes with resolving issues and contributing to increased sales and overall business success. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Randox. I know that the company will continue to grow and succeed and I feel privileged to be involved in its journey.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone with whom I have worked during my 25 years here at Randox.  I love everyone I work with and you are such a big part of why I have loved my time here so much.  I want to say a big thank you in particular to Bob Allan in Finance, who was one of the first people I met in Randox.  He has always been on hand to support the work we do in the Portuguese office, and the way in which he made me feel so welcome and supported will always be one of my favourite memories of my first 25 years working in Randox.

Here’s to the next 25!

Cristina

 

Congratulations Cristina on your 25 year milestone with us here at Randox. You are a real asset to our global healthcare company and we are delighted to have you as part of our team!

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