We would like to share with you the story of Alexander B., one of our talented Business Managers at Alten UK. From his victory to the Henley Royal Regatta in 2018 to his preparation for the next London marathon, Alexander is extremely devoted to both his practice and work. Read his interview to learn more about his journey!

What is your position within Alten and what do you enjoy most about it?

I’m currently a Business Manager at Alten. I love the accountability of the role and the varying nature of the responsibilities day to day. My current customers are spread across aerospace, defence, rail and energy so I’m constantly adapting my approach.

Tell us your story about rowing.

I started at school when I was 13, mainly because I was terrible at cricket! It got serious quite quickly, by 16 I was doing 10 sessions a week and trialing for a place in the GB Junior team. I kept at it through university and won the Henley Royal Regatta in 2018, an event I had been trying to s쳮d at for 5 years. The year before joining Alten I trained full-time in a semi-professional club and at that point decided enough was enough and pursued my career within engineering.

What is the biggest challenge that you faced? 

The biggest challenge was the constant battle of balancing my academics, training and social life (what was left of it). There were very tough moments where I had to be sure I was happy with my own decisions, as other stakeholders were trying to push me elsewhere. I’m glad I kept doing it, as I’ve had some fantastic experiences through it and it’s definitely shaped who I am.

Do you still compete? How do you balance practice with your professional career?

I still row recreationally but my main exercise at the moment is running in preparation for the London Marathon. Routine is definitely the key to balance training with a job, I will always get my workouts done first thing before work. It gets it out the way and I find it really gives me a boost for the day ahead. Just have to resist that snooze button at 5:30…

Any other hobbies/activities you would like to speak about?

Lots of my university friends are still living in London so generally most of my free time is spent messing around with them. But I am also a big F1 fan, so that’s a very easy way to let a Sunday pass by watching the races.