10 Questions with Charlie Cook
Published on November 11, 2022
CERN Alumnus: Charlie Cook
At CERN: 2014-2016, Civil Engineer on the FCC Project.
Now: Founder & CEO of Rightcharge, London
At CERN: 2014-2016, Civil Engineer on the FCC Project.
Now: Founder & CEO of Rightcharge, London
1) When did you work at CERN (including its Scientific Collaborations) and what did you work on?
"I worked as a Civil Engineer on the FCC project from 2014-2016"
2) What is your best memory of working at CERN?
"I presented some slides to Fabiola Gianotti. I don't remember any challenging questions so it was either entirely satisfactory or entirely not top of her priority list. I'm happy to think it was a bit of both. An amazing and fortunate moment to be in the same meeting as Director General of CERN in the first 2 years of my career."
"I also have limitless memories of lunches in R1 and trips to the Alpes with the CERN club."
3) What is your current job and where is it located?
"I'm the Founder & CEO of Rightcharge (www.rightcharge.co.uk). We work out of our office in London."
4) What skills did you develop during your CERN work experience which have been particularly useful in your subsequent career trajectory?
"CERN taught me how to think big. There's no project at CERN that isn't incredibly ambitious in its own way. For the FCC, the ambition stretches across multiple dimensions, including the sheer size of the project. I think being part of something that pushes the boundaries of what is in existence makes you want to recreate that experience in whatever you do after CERN."
"CERN was also my first professional job, so it taught me all of the core skills that are important in working life."
"CERN was also my first professional job, so it taught me all of the core skills that are important in working life."
5) Which skills (if any) did you need to develop further when you left CERN to face your next professional challenges?
"I decided to study a Business Master's Degree to learn the basics of finance, accounting and management so that I could reorientate my career from an Engineering focus to a Commercial focus. I figured I could achieve a bigger difference that way in the clean energy space - and I always had an ambition to launch my own company."
6) What tips would you give to someone who is considering a career transition from academia to industry?
"You're an incredibly good person to hire. Go and get any job you like. If you need to add another angle to your skill-set (like I did with the business degree) that could open up new opportunities, too."
7) What advice would you give your younger self?
"Reach out to people that you admire or who are doing things you'd like to be doing one day. You'd think that most people wouldn't respond to cold outreach to connect & ask for advice, actually most people will accept in my experience."
8) Do you still keep a close eye on what’s going on at CERN?
"I keep up with the big announcements and progress with the FCC project."
9) In your opinion, what is the unique value of the CERN Alumni Network?
"CERN is a very special place in itself. There are few places on earth where so much exciting work is done. So, being able to stay in touch with the community is a great advantage. I've been involved in a few events via the Alumni Network. They've all been great experiences and it's felt like a privilege to be involved."
10) Imagine you are stranded on a desert island. You can have one piece of music, one book and one luxury item. Which music, book and luxury item would you choose and why?
Music: "Bon Iver's eponymous album 'Bon Iver', just because it's my all time favourite album"
Book: "Shantaram, because it's an amazing book, full of adventure, perfect for escapism with no other souls around"
Luxury item: "My Airpods, because even on a desert island, wires are annoying"
Book: "Shantaram, because it's an amazing book, full of adventure, perfect for escapism with no other souls around"
Luxury item: "My Airpods, because even on a desert island, wires are annoying"