Alex Cooper, the engineer modernizing an energy future for everyone

Hi, my name is Alex Cooper. I’m 25 years old and joined Hitachi Energy as an Engineering Apprentice six years ago.

After finishing my apprenticeship, I became a Test Engineer for Grid Automation in the UK. I work within the System Verification Facility. My role is to perform general arrangement checks, function testing, and secondary injection testing of protection and control systems.

I used to be a hairdresser but soon realized it wasn’t for me. Engineering then wasn’t something expressed as an opportunity for women, even though my engineering skills and interest were developed early in life.

The process I find fascinating in my daily tasks is performing secondary injection testing – I ensure that the system operates correctly following a fault simulated to replicate real-life scenarios that can occur when the system is in operation. 

I enjoy seeing us win new projects and delivering projects with net zero as the main goal as we champion a sustainable energy future for everyone, such as Seagreen Wind Farm and Dogger Bank Wind Farm. These impacted me because I saw the growth in green energy and Hitachi Energy being a part of making it happen.

I have been told that I am a great asset to the team due to my commitment and hard work. After receiving this compliment, I felt appreciated by my team. I can easily put myself down by thinking I’m not doing enough. However, hearing this made me proud of myself and more willing to push myself to achieve more.

I am proud to be an employee of Hitachi Energy, which thrives in helping young talent progress throughout the beginning of their career. I also appreciate Hitachi Energy’s efforts in encouraging and inspiring more women to leap into engineering. This vision is close to my heart because I wish engineering had been expressed more to women when I was leaving school, which could have led me into the correct career path right away.