Happy in a challenging job

Brent Eastwood is the chief executive of the region's sports and recreation body Sport Northland. He's keen on getting as many people as possible to improve themselves through sport and recreation, but he once had a job doing caesarean sections on cows in sub-zero temperatures in Canada.

Mr Eastwood reveals more about himself in this week's 10 Questions.

1. Describe yourself in three words.

Kind, family-oriented (I'll count that as one word!) and argumentative.

2. How would you describe your role at Sport Northland?

Guiding and empowering a fantastic team of people to get more Northlanders leading better lives through involvement in sport and recreation. It's a challenging and stimulating role given the breadth of what the organisation does, and it's a privilege to get up every morning and want to go to work, something I don't think should ever be taken for granted.

3. What is the most important advice you have ever been given?

Four expressions (totalling 10 words), used sincerely and consistently, can get children what they want in most cases:

"Please", "thank you", "I love you" and "how may I help?". Adults are big children.

4. What album are you listening to at the moment?

Don't listen to albums as such, although my 15-year-old keeps me up-to-date with the latest music by switching the radio channel to The Edge every time she gets in the car! Ed's [Sheeran] a fave at the moment.

5. When it's been a full-on week, what is your favourite way to unwind?

Everything in moderation - working out at Kensington Fitness and then settling back to watch footy with a Central Otago Pinot in hand.

6. What is the one thing you could not live without each day?

My home family - wife Leanne and daughter Ellie - and trying to keep in touch with the other three daughters now in Otago.

7. If you weren't chief executive of Sport Northland, what would you be doing?

Because I think everyone should try to work in an industry they are passionate about, it would have to be something still in sport ... but I love Northland and I love sport, so cannot complain about where I am now.

8. Do you have a nickname, and if so, what's the story behind it?

Most people call me Easty ... typical Kiwi nickname - shorten someone's name and add a y on the end. Also known as Burger and Euston by some old mates, but that story is not for publication.

9. As a child, who or what did you want to be when you grew up? And why?

Never really aspired to anything work-wise - but like most Kiwi boys dreamed of being an All Black ... which didn't come off at all.

10. Tell us something that most people don't know about you.

While on my OE I worked as a shepherd in northern Scotland and as a vet's assistant (mainly doing caesarean sections on cows) in a minus 40 degree winter in Canada.