Episode 26: Expect Problems. Enjoy the Challenge. A conversation with Tony Cooke

Tony Cooke has spent more than 40 years in diagnostics, building and leading companies in Cambridge after humble beginnings in a working-class family in Sheffield.This episode isn’t about job titles. It’s about mindset.Tony shares why he never let himself get too comfortable. Growth, for him, came from change. New roles. New challenges. Moving before he was forced to. He’s seen companies sold, projects collapse and plans unravel. His view is blunt: expect things to go wrong. Life isn’t fair. Companies aren’t permanent. Deal with it and move forward.What stands out is how deliberately he creates challenge. In work and outside it. He believes discomfort keeps you sharp and complacency is the real risk.After decades in diagnostics, he’s also clear on the bigger mission. Healthcare has to shift from treating illness to preventing it. Earlier detection. Smarter screening. Keeping people healthy and productive for longer.If you’re serious about building a career in diagnostics that lasts, without becoming complacent or burnt out, this episode will challenge how you think. It’s direct, grounded and shaped by decades of real experience.