It takes a special kind of person to succeed at overseeing all of the human resources aspects that go into running Luminex’s Toronto office. Fortunately, that’s exactly who Andrea Rankine-Valcourt is. As Senior Manager of Human Resources, she performs a broad range of duties. She joined the company in 2014, and holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s certificate in adult training and development from York University.
Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?
A: I’m pretty much a generalist. I’m responsible for recruiting, supporting payroll, benefits administration, employee relations, training, on-boarding, drafting policies, and more. Every day is different—that’s what I enjoy about the job.
Q: How did you choose a career in human resources?
A: I knew right away what I wanted to do and got my human resources certificate right out of university. It’s nice when you can zero in on a career path early.
Q: What did you do before this job?
A: Prior to Luminex, I was an HR services manager at Cardinal Health, and before that, I was an assistant manager of Human Resources at Yamaha Music.
Q: What drew you to Luminex?
A: I came to Luminex after being on an extended maternity leave, and had spent some time thinking about what I wanted to do next. I was interested in being in an area that was either innovative or working towards improving healthcare, so Luminex was the perfect fit.
Q: If you weren’t a human resources manager at Luminex, where would you be?
A: Before choosing human resources, I thought I was going to be either a social worker or a psychologist. I’ve always enjoyed working with people.
Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?
A: Cancer. There are so many people who know someone struggling with a cancer diagnosis within their families or friends.
Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?
A: I love dancing! It’s something I enjoy and want to spend more time doing.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Toronto on the weekend?
A: I have two kids, so I’m basically a taxi driver on the weekends, but sometimes we go for long walks and I really enjoy those.
