Ryman Healthcare chief executive Simon Challies on a tough year and ahead to what's in store in 2010.
How was the recession for you?
Better than it was for most others. Pretty good.
What was the biggest lesson you'll take out of it?
The biggest lesson is that you have to be confident in your own abilities to tackle things, keep people focused on what's of value to customers.
Are we through the worst of it yet?
Yup. You can only push the pause button on people wanting to get ahead for so long. We're quite lucky because we're in a market where life goes on and demand is growing for new retirement village facilities around New Zealand. The market is growing fast because people are ageing.
What do you think is the thing most likely to trip up the recovery?
We're just focusing on doing well, not tripping ourselves up is the biggest thing to avoid.
What will you be doing in 2025?
I'll be here running Ryman. I'm 39. Ryman will be number one by market capitalisation in New Zealand by then. We're on the right path.
