Leadership Stories Unveiled: Andrea Cook
We sat down with Andrea Cook, Head of People at Total Fitness, for the latest instalment of our Leadership Stories Unveiled series.
Andrea, when you first chose a career in HR, what drew you to the field, and how has that motivation changed over the years?
I was drawn to HR in 1997 (a zillion years ago) when I was seeking excitement and hungry for so much more. I feared if I didn’t, I would be stuck in our non-eventful country village for the rest of time, I had such a strong feeling to break free from my boring life, but didn’t know how to!
The opportunity came when I saw an advert in the Cosmopolitan magazine advertising for Cabin Crew with Emirates airline based in Dubai. I saw this as my escape. After a gruelling recruitment process, I got the much-awaited outcome call to confirm my spot on their intense cabin crew training program.
Following 3 years as cabin crew of boundless curiosity, adventure, soaking up plenty of sun, visiting new cultures and countries, a career turning point unexpectedly happened. I was approached and asked if I would consider moving into the HR team to recruit cabin crew from all over the world, a role I had not been seeking, but decided to fully embrace. It was here that I truly discovered how much I enjoyed working with people, supporting their growth, and influencing business success through talent I had played a part in selecting.
That experience lit a spark. Over time, I returned to the UK with a husband and our first baby, and I transitioned fully into an HR role with John Lewis Partnership for 12 years, building my expertise across people development, culture, and organisational leadership. Rather than following a rigid plan, my career has been defined by a willingness to step into the unknown, be brave and stretch beyond my comfort zone to seize unexpected opportunities.
Today, as Head of People at Total Fitness, I channel those early lessons into a distinctive leadership style. I am and always have been passionate about growing talent from within, fostering cross-functional learning, and building a culture where employees feel supported to take bold steps just as I did.
My motivation (addiction) has never faded if anything it has grown over the 26 years of being in HR and I know that is because every day is different in this line of work, I get to be involved in some really exciting projects at Total Fitness that deliver change and positive impact to the business and I have been lucky enough over the 12 years working for Total Fitness to work with some amazing people that inspire me every day and I never take that for granted!
Looking back over your career, which experiences, perhaps outside your current role, have shaped the way you lead a team?
I had not really thought about leadership until I was fresh out of university, I landed my first role as a prop designer based in Victoria, London. I was so enthusiastic as a fresh-faced graduate designing and creating props for large retail groups, film sets and fashion shows. I worked under a leader whose style didn’t sit comfortably with me, he never showed personal interest in us as a team, at times I felt incredibly suffocated by his opinions, I felt frightened of asking questions or making mistakes, it eventually had such an impact on me I decided to leave not because I didn’t love my job but because of who I was working for.
What this helped me to realise in my early career years was the kind of leader I did not want to be. I look back now and understand this leadership style as micromanagement, limited trust, and a controlling manner impacting poorly on our team at the time. This experience thankfully pushed me to lead the other way with respect, trust, and recognising contributions, these have become a non-negotiable part of how I show up at work every day.
I worked with an incredible leader at Emirates Airline whilst recruiting cabin crew, it was the first time I had felt true admiration for someone for whom I had worked for. They were incredibly down to earth to speak to, kind with their time, a balanced strategic thinker with empathy, they freely shared their knowledge and experiences, and they always demonstrated great leadership by treating people with respect whilst remaining firm but fair. I believe this helped to cement my own leadership style.
Managing complex employee relations and organisational change is never easy. Can you share a moment that taught you an important lesson about fairness or trust?
One moment that really shaped my thinking around fairness and trust happened early in my career while I was leading a complex employee serious case. It involved a situation where tensions were high, emotions were strong, and there were conflicting perspectives from multiple stakeholders. At first, it would have been easy to focus solely on the outcomes we needed from a business perspective. But I quickly realised that if people did not feel heard, respected, and treated fairly, any decision, even the “right” one, would erode trust and make the situation far worse.
What I learned in that moment is that fairness is not about following policy; it is about being transparent, listening deeply, and making sure people understand the process and reasoning behind decisions. I spent time meeting individually with everyone involved, clarifying expectations, and ensuring that each voice was heard. It was not the fastest route, but it was the right one at that moment in time. By the end, the resolution was not only accepted but also respected, and it strengthened trust across the team rather than breaking it down.
Since then, that lesson has been a guiding principle for me and has served me well so far. Complex situations are inevitable in my role at times, but if you focus on fairness, transparency, and building trust, you can navigate them in a way that strengthens your people and the business.
You have designed programs to identify and develop future leaders. What do you look for when spotting talent?
I look for several things when looking for talent, it is an opportunity to identify a skill, a confidence, or just seeing potential in someone that does not even see it in themselves.
When I first joined Total Fitness, I started with a team of one as opposed to the six I have now. I had to be creative with our skill set between the two of us, but as I built my team, it allowed me to spot talent, creating the right team dynamic.
I look for curiosity, resilience, desire, and the ability to collaborate across teams when spotting talent.
I look for people who lean into challenges, who are eager to learn, and who naturally elevate those working around them and can leave egos at the door. For me, the most rewarding part is seeing someone step into a role they once thought was out of their reach.
In your view, what separates a good HR business partner from an exceptional one, particularly when influencing senior leaders or shaping business outcomes?
I believe what separates a good HRBP to an exceptional one is if they show curiosity, courage, a good sense of humour, anticipates problems, influences decisions by helping leaders see the human side. They ask those hard questions others often feel too awkward to ask, support to shape the future by aligning people, know our purpose and link it to the operation by building deep trust. I’m lucky enough to have developed two of my long serving team members at Total Fitness who are exceptional HRBP’s, both working their way through the different elements of the HR functions, which has stood them in good stead for fully understanding all areas of the business as well as HR as a whole identity.
You have led initiatives to innovate in recruitment, learning, and employee engagement. Which of these projects has been the most rewarding, and why?
I would say each of these initiatives has been rewarding, the initiative that has had longevity impact and transformed how people view the business, even if not successful is our recruitment process.
I introduced recruitment behavioural assessments when I joined Total Fitness in 2014, which have stood the test of time with a few tweaks along the way. I decided to change the traditional hiring methods to a much more candidate centric model where we can get to know the candidate for who they really are rather than an interview staged individual. It is about welcoming the candidate and making them feel relaxed so that they enjoy the process and get to know what Total Fitness is about, after all they need to be right for us, but equally, Total Fitness needs to be the right business for them too!
At Total Fitness, we are looking for hunger in a person, and this could be hunger for fitness, customer service, a hobby and more, which demonstrates they have ‘get up and go’. A candidate who shows humility in their manner and towards others is key for us. The fitness industry has changed so much and no longer requires everyone to be overconfident fitness fanatics. Instead, we look for relatable, down-to-earth people that our members can build rapport with, demonstrating People Smart (emotional intelligence) with whoever they interact with.
You have worked in different industries and with diverse teams. What lessons have you learned about culture, and how do you apply them to create a positive workplace today?
I have learnt so many lessons about different cultures working across different industries and with diverse teams, which has taught me that culture is constantly evolving and shaped by the people within a business.
One of my most formative experiences in my career was recruiting cabin crew all over the world for Emirates Airline, visiting countries in poverty where this job meant life or death to the candidates. This role exposed me to so many different cultures, values, and ways of working that it taught me the importance of truly listening and understanding what matters to people in different contexts. What motivates and engages one person in one part of the world to another can look completely different, but it is about appreciating that can build an inclusive culture.
Emirates, John Lewis and Total Fitness have all taught me that potential candidates want to know about the place they may get to call their place of employment. They want clarity and consistency, and at Total Fitness, we bring this to life by ensuring our people practices, leadership behaviours, and ways of working are aligned to our core purpose and values.
I have experienced firsthand that diversity is a strength which drives better ideas and outcomes when team members feel safe to speak up, valued when they are listened to and included when they are free to share their ideas.
At Total Fitness we bring this to life to create a positive working environment by doing a lot of healthy listening to our team members from all levels and we encourage this by doing two employee engagement surveys per year, Real Talk sessions where we invite small groups to speak freely about what they are finding most challenging right now, what’s going well, what could be better.
Resilience is key in leadership. How do you maintain energy and focus in fast-paced, high-pressure environments, and how do you inspire your team to do the same?
I do not find it hard to maintain energy and focus as I love my job, who I work with, and why I am doing what I am doing, this keeps me focused and motivated.
Total Fitness can be extremely reactive and fast-paced at times, and I always say it is definitely not for the faint-hearted. As I have matured, I have tried to be more intentional with my energy and create conditions which allow me and my team to thrive, even in high-pressure environments.
I have learnt and continue to prioritise taking time to step back, reflect, and recharge, whether that is by going for a run, time with family or friends, or simply taking time to think strategically rather than constantly reacting. This is serving me well, I do not claim to be perfect at it, but it is so important for me to practice, especially as and when the pace is intense.
How do I inspire resilience in others? I try to lead by example by focusing on creating environments of trust by being open with my team on the pace we work at but also setting boundaries to look after themselves and speak up when they need support. It is important to connect back to the bigger picture by celebrating the wins, shared achievement goes a long way in keeping everyone’s energy and motivation high, and most importantly it is about having fun even during the most challenging times.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for HR over the next 5–10 years?
Looking ahead, I believe the next 5-10 years will be transformative for HR both in terms of opportunities and challenges. I think the biggest challenge will be navigating the pace of change while keeping people right at the heart of everything we do, with the world evolving faster than ever before.
If we can keep hold of the fact that people are our competitive advantage and at the centre of everything we do, then I think we can create workplaces that are not only fit for the future, but where people want to truly be.
Today, people want more than just a job. There is a need for more flexibility, belonging, a job that aligns with people’s values, and a role that fulfils personal and professional purpose.
I foresee that skills required for future roles which do not even exist yet might prove to be a challenge, but in preparation, we need to build teams that are agile and ready to adapt to the changes that might be on the horizon. At Total Fitness, we encourage continual learning with an array of different learning platforms on offer, where people feel they can grow and evolve.
On the opportunity side, one of the most exciting shifts is how technology, particularly AI, will be able to build more personalised and impactful people strategies. We will be able to use data not only to establish workforce trends but to anticipate skills gaps, learning needs, and improve employee engagement at scale. This will allow the HR function to be far more strategic rather than being largely operational.
AI will allow us to see where and when our workforce is best placed in our fitness clubs, this will encourage a more thoughtful approach to working patterns and tell us where resource is needed to fulfil customers’ needs.
Finally, if you had to sum up your “signature” approach to HR leadership, what would make it stand out from others in the industry?
My HR leadership signature would be a People-focused signature, centred on trust and empowerment. Leading with genuine care for individuals while nurturing collective success. I look at people as individuals who have potential, purpose, and perspective.
Andrea CookHead of People | Total Fitness
Andrea Cook is an accomplished Human Resources leader with over 26 years of experience across the retail, aviation, and fitness industries. As Head of People at Total Fitness, which consists of 15 health & fitness clubs, 2 Women’s gyms and over 720 team members, she leads the organisation’s people strategy, driving initiatives that enhance engagement, development, and wellbeing while fostering a culture of inclusion and performance.
Before joining Total Fitness, Andrea held senior HR roles at John Lewis and Emirates, where she gained extensive experience in people management across complex, customer-focused environments. Her career is defined by a commitment to aligning business strategy with people-focused leadership, ensuring that colleagues are supported, motivated, and equipped to deliver exceptional results.
Andrea has been recognised for working collaboratively in creating an award-winning ‘Future Leaders’ development program, winning the UK Company Culture award. She is passionate about creating workplaces where individuals can grow, succeed, and feel genuinely valued for their contributions.
