Southlake Health is celebrating Alex Pollard, Manager, Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness, who has been named one of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Canada’s Top 25 Under 40 for 2026. This annual award recognizes emerging leaders across the country who are making an impact in occupational health and safety.
Alex’s path to occupational health and safety is anything but traditional. She joined Southlake in 2018 as a contracted frontline security guard, never expecting that the experience would ultimately lead her to a career in Occupational Health and Safety. Early in her career, Alex responded to a high-risk incident where she had the opportunity to work with a team to complete a risk assessment, identify gaps, and put meaningful controls in place.
“It was my first real exposure to the process of identifying gaps and putting meaningful mitigations and controls in place,” says Alex. “What stood out to me was that I understood those recommendations from the perspective of the person who would actually be impacted by them.”
That experience sparked an interest in workplace health and safety. Alex went on to become a supervisor and later served as interim Manager of Security and Parking during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, she moved into Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness, where she now leads a team dedicated to supporting the health, safety, and well-being of Southlake’s people.
A career built on opportunity
Alex says Southlake has played a significant role in shaping her career. Rather than following a traditional path into occupational health and safety, she was given opportunities to build on her existing skills, take on new responsibilities, and continue learning.
“Southlake has given me opportunities to grow that I don’t think I could have predicted when I first walked through the doors as a security guard,” says Alex. “Leaders here recognized transferable skills, gave me opportunities to stretch beyond what I already knew, and trusted that I could learn.”
She credits several Southlake leaders and colleagues for supporting her journey, including Robert Hearn, who first recognized her leadership potential, and Menka Anand, her current director, who encouraged her transition into occupational health and safety.
“Of all the decisions I’ve made as a leader, bringing Alex to OHS&W is one I’ll always hold close to my heart,” said Menka Anand, Director, Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness.” Alex leads with both strength and heart, making people feel seen and supported along the way. She has poured so much of herself into our team, and her compassion has touched more lives than she may ever know. Her impact will endure in the work we do and in the organization we strive to become.”
For Alex, the most rewarding part of her career has been the opportunity to lead and support others.
“I am certainly passionate about health and safety, but my true passion lies in being a people leader,” she says. “Seeing members of my team build their confidence, take on new challenges, be recognized for their contributions, and advance in their careers is incredibly rewarding.”
Making a difference for Southlake’s people
Alex is particularly proud of Southlake’s increased use of data to better understand workplace injuries and identify opportunities for prevention. Since she stepped into her role in 2022, the organization has seen meaningful reductions in workplace injuries and lost-time injuries.
For Alex, those numbers represent something much more important: people.
“Behind every statistic is a person,” she says. “When we keep our people healthy and safe, we are also helping to support the consistent, high-quality care our patients depend on.”
Her work around workplace violence prevention is especially meaningful, bringing her career full circle. Having experienced unsafe situations firsthand as a frontline security guard, Alex now has the opportunity to look at those risks from an organizational perspective and work with clinical and operational teams to identify practical ways to prevent injuries.
Alex’s work contributes to Southlake’s broader commitment to making safety part of how we work every day. Through initiatives focused on violence prevention, staff education, risk identification and prevention, Southlake continues to strengthen a culture where everyone has a role in keeping one another safe — work Alex helps lead and advance alongside teams across the organization.
She believes a strong safety culture is one where health and safety is considered from the outset and where everyone understands their role in creating a safe workplace.
“Health and safety is never accomplished by one person,” says Alex. “Our strongest improvements happen when teams work together to implement solutions.”
Saying yes to opportunity
Being named one of OHS Canada’s Top 25 Under 40 was both exciting and surreal for Alex, particularly given her unconventional path into the profession.
“Personally, it feels like validation for taking chances throughout my career,” she says. “This recognition reinforces that there isn’t only one path to becoming a successful OHS leader.”
Alex also sees the recognition as a reflection of the team around her and the people who have supported her throughout her career. Looking ahead, she hopes to continue growing as a leader, contributing to the broader conversation around employee health, safety and well-being, and helping develop the next generation of leaders.
“Alex’s journey from the frontlines at Southlake to a leader in occupational health and safety reflects the kind of growth, leadership, and commitment we strive to nurture across Southlake,” said Cristina Amaral, Vice President, People and Chief Human Resources Officer. “Alex is helping shape a culture where people feel supported, valued, and empowered to make a difference, and we are incredibly proud to see her recognized with this national award.”
Alex’s advice to others beginning their careers is simple: say yes.
“Say yes to learning something new, meeting new people, taking on a project you haven’t done before, and stepping outside the area where you already feel comfortable,” she says. “You don’t have to know everything before you take the opportunity, you just have to be willing to learn.”
From the frontlines of Southlake to a leadership role in occupational health and safety, Alex’s career is a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful opportunities are the ones we never planned for.
