Meet Helen Whitby

Meet Helen Whitby

“Whether it's going to paint a school together or taking personal time off to get involved with philanthropy—it’s an important part of what we do because it builds who we are as an organization and team morale.”

Positive communities created at work shape the way you live your life outside of work. Helen Whitby, the senior product manager of biopharma products in the marketing department at Phenomenex, says there is a major emphasis on philanthropy and environmental sustainment at the company. “It's something we’ve always done,” shared Helen

This sense of community creates a positive work environment for everyone working at Phenomenex.

When thinking about the company, Helen reflects on the word “team.” The company has always been focused on the customers and their experiences. The ability to be successful in providing a great customer experience stems from the camaraderie among internal team members. “I've never worked in a department at Phenomenex that lacks team connectivity,” said Helen. “I think we're very unique in that respect, and there is a lot of support globally and cross-organizationally as well.” She appreciates the opportunities she has had to develop real relationships with her colleagues outside of work during her time with Phenomenex.

Helen and her team never shy away from adversity. “We're not a team that gives up very easily; if the doors close on something, then we try to look for a side gate,” said Helen. Analyzing problems, taking them apart, and building out 10 different potential solutions gives Helen’s team an advantage over others. Taking the time to do all the small things can open up new ideas for solutions that others may miss because they didn’t take the proper time to investigate. Helen takes pride in her team’s ability to always go the extra mile.

With a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry, Helen was drawn to Phenomenex because of the variety of growth opportunities it presented. “The chance to work at Phenomenex piqued my interest because I would be able to apply all of my existing skills and expertise in analytical chemistry to a commercial environment and introduce our products to people who are developing new methods,” said Helen, “I liked the combination of that commercial element and the use of my analytical chemistry knowledge.”

Helen developed a new sense of satisfaction in her role during the pandemic, as much of her work supported vaccine development. She worked directly with people who were looking at characterizing the code protein spiking and characterizing different treatments. “Being able to support these experts in the field was meaningful to me,” said Helen. “We weren't just looking at a different way to analyze proteins that have been done for years; we were helping drive forward new science that was impacting every human life. We worked with companies manufacturing vaccines and we worked with universities trying to characterize the spike protein. It was extremely satisfying.”

Most of Helen’s time outside of work is devoted to her three children; however, when she's not running her kids around, she likes to run with a different team. Helen has been running competitively for nearly two and a half decades. She recently started a running club with some friends. “Creating a positive experience for people is important—both inside and outside of work,” said Helen. “I love that part of Phenomenex’s mission because that's how I live as well.”

A special anecdote from her time at Phenomenex, Helen fondly recalls participating in the London to Paris Cycling Challenge with colleagues and the camaraderie that resulted from that experience. “The whole trip was incredible, and I think it speaks to the values at Phenomenex. The company funded it, gave us the time off to participate in the challenge, and helped facilitate our fundraising for a worthy cause.”