An interview with Sandra Wells on her pathway to being a leader, by Fiona Farmer BVSc MRCVS
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Sandra Wells is redefining what it is to be a leader. Gentle, kind and supportive, her life lessons through motherhood, sisterhood, sport, and working hard, steadily and consistently have led her to where she is today. A manager of 60 people and three NationWide Laboratories countrywide, she is the go-to person to ensure everyone has what they need, is fully supported and that the quality of work coming out of the labs is the very best it can be.
Despite quality assurance being a huge aspect of her role as Operations Manager, when I asked her what her job entailed, she went straight to the people “I lead the three labs across the country, making sure the processes and systems are in place, and looking after my teams. Communicating with them, sourcing relevant training for them, making sure there is lots of staff engagement and teamwork. I’m so lucky we have a fantastic, diverse team and such great relationships across the sites, everybody appreciates everyone else and what they are bringing to the table.” Happy employees stem from good management, and Sandra’s nurturing nature allows for such a supportive and respectful workplace. “I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing colleagues over the years, many who are experts in their fields. I feel that I have learnt so much from them and they have all helped to shape my career”.
I wondered if motherhood had helped shape the way she leads. “Oh of course it has helped, as you bring some of what you do with children into the workplace. Like fuelling people’s confidence and supporting as much as you can and learning from mistakes. Focusing on what they’re doing well, how they’re developing and improving as individuals, and encouraging that personal growth.” She also acknowledges that people work in order to enjoy their life outside of work and facilitates that as much as possible. “If people need time to watch their child’s nativity play or sports day, we have flexible working to accommodate that. But it’s not just parents – everyone deserves space for what they love. If any of our team need to care for a sick pet, an elderly relative, that time is given. We even have one member of staff who uses flexible working to make sure she gets to the home matches of her football team! I want everyone to be happy and engaged, I find if I respect their time out of work, they give so much back in work.”
An inspired leap to the veterinary field
Although now she is in a managerial position don’t be fooled into thinking Sandra isn’t a scientific powerhouse in her own right. An avid science lover she studied biochemistry and molecular biology at university and went on to work at Lancaster University, working on a Feline Coronavirus project. Off the back of this she had the opportunity to spend some time at Glasgow Vet School to work with their team on Feline Coronavirus, and it was here she found her love of the veterinary field. “They were such an inspirational team and they really cared about the work they were doing, supporting the veterinary industry and developing new tests. That is what made me want to continue my work in that field for NationWide Laboratories, starting off working in the lab performing the diagnostic tests.” Sandra then progressed through the company, taking on leadership and management training, going on to become the Group Quality Manager and Lab Manager before moving into her current position as Operations Manager.
She leads by example, and as a result the quality of the work that come from her labs is the very best it can be. She is committed to continual improvement and ensures the quality of the results by managing a robust quality system as part of the laboratories UKAS accreditation.
Everyone in the labs works together and works to the best of their abilities. “We have an amazing team; our results are of the highest quality and our staff are so well trained and experienced. Importantly, we don’t lose sight of the work that we do, and that behind every sample is an animal. We always keep that animal in mind, and the team all work as if every sample was their own pet. This means it gets the best care and attention it can, and that we go the extra mile. We want the best possible outcomes for the animals, and to get the results back to vets as quickly as possible.”
I asked if she missed doing the lab work herself, and she did, but in true helpful Sandra style, she got to dip her toes back into in throughout the pandemic.
“When the pandemic hit, I just thought – we have the space and equipment to help with the PCR testing, so let’s do it. We partnered with another business and set up testing for some local GP surgeries to test their COVID-19 PCR samples. It was a real “can do” approach! We had the experience and the equipment, and it was great to feel like you were helping. We felt as there was a global pandemic, what small part can we do to help? How can we contribute? So that’s what we did.”
“…there was a global pandemic, what small part can we do to help? How can we contribute?”
Helping seems to come naturally to Sandra, who is also in charge of the sustainability initiatives within the lab. In just 10 months she has already instilled many motions – they have planted a bee meadow and are organising a beach clean along with implementing lab changes. “We’ve moved to energy saver light bulbs, replaced plastic with alternative products and recycle as much as we can in the lab. It’s not always possible due to the nature of our work, but we use recycled materials and donate used lab equipment to schools rather than throw it away.”
Change can start at home
Sandra has an approach that change can start at home. She focuses on the communities around her and throws heart and soul into making positive experiences. “You don’t have to go out and do something huge to make a difference. I don’t really think of myself as a leader, I guess I want to inspire people that I have interactions with and leave them feeling a little bit better. I’m sociable and I like people, I like bringing people together.”
She does this not only at work, but through charity work too. She has run several half marathons and takes part in the ‘Jingle All The Way’ Santa Walk each year, to raise money for a local children’s hospice. I wondered if the hospice was personal to her “I know people who have been helped by the hospice, it’s local to me and I see the amazing work it does.” She has also organised the shoebox appeal at work, led food bank collections, Ukraine collections, organised her children’s school fairs and other fundraising activities and actively supports a local dance school.
“I love music and dance, it’s incredible. I help at a local dance school and see dance as a great learning tool for young people” Sandra’s daughter dances and her sister is a professional dancer, who now runs a dance school. “I’m so proud of her, of what she is giving these children. It’s not just about dance. It’s about the life lessons it teaches them, about learning that discipline and that they must work hard to achieve what they want to achieve. It teaches teamwork and camaraderie, and commitment. If one of them is having a bad day and can’t remember the steps, they help each other, it’s so good for them. It also gives them a huge appreciation of all the different types of music and how to express themselves.”
She recently helped backstage at a show the children performed in “I was just so proud of them, so proud of my sister, so proud of my daughter, that all their hard work paid off.”
“I’m sociable and I like people, I like bringing people together.”
Another of Sandra’s big passions is sport and this taught Sandra to handle pressure “you have the pressure of competing against your peers. You have to be committed, you have to turn up.” I get a constant sense from Sandra that she always turns up. Always putting one foot in front of the other to constantly improve, both herself and everyone around her. She described to me how she ran her half marathons, and I couldn’t help but think it was a metaphor for how she has lived her life and achieved what she has.
“You just build it up. You start with nothing and then slowly build up to 5km, and then you can build on that and get to 10km, and then you can just keep on going. I don’t run fast, but I can keep going and I think if I can do it, anyone can. My friends and I set the goal of the half marathon. I wasn’t sure if we would get there, but we kept on adding on more and more miles.”
She loves being outdoors, walking and paddleboarding in the Lake District. This year, she and her son are also going to tackle some of the Wainrights. “I love walking, my daughter isn’t a fan, but my son and I have set a goal to complete all 214 Wainrights over the next few years. It’s great to be out, walking and talking”
I asked her to describe herself in one sentence, and humbly she didn’t come close to what I and her colleagues see in her. So instead, I asked what advice she would give to her younger self. “When you start off, things can seem out of reach, but if you keep reaching, you’ll get there. You just need to always try to improve and go for your goals. No matter how big or small, go for it anyway. You don’t have to be the best, just do your best and you can do anything.”
Sound advice for us all.
NationWide Laboratories is committed to making a positive impact on animal health by offering innovative products, technology and laboratory services to your veterinary practice. They have been providing a comprehensive range of veterinary diagnostic services since 1983. Their expert teams can assist you in making decisions on relevant testing for companion, exotic and farm animals. They offer full interpretation in a range of testing areas including biochemistry, haematology, cytology, histopathology, endocrinology, microbiology, etc. Their sample collection service is powered by National Veterinary Services.
Email: info@nwlabs.co.uk
Website: https://www.nwlabs.co.uk/
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