Personal File: Director of Primary Corporate Health

Dr Ian Pogson

Director of Primary Corporate Health, Auckland

Born January 11, 1963, Durban, South Africa.

In New Zealand 13 years. Married to Sonja, two children.

What is your role?

I'm a corporate health physician and I run company health programmes. We provide preventive health programmes and wellness to working people.

What is the biggest challenge facing your organisation?

Getting people to shift from the mindset of "you need a doctor when you have problems" to the mindset that you can prevent a problem.

Why did you choose this career?

I didn't find it particularly pleasant as a doctor treating illness. Prevention is much more rewarding.

Why is it important?

It makes great sense in terms of health. The US Centres for Disease Control did a study looking at determinants of health. Lifestyle accounted for 53 per cent and environment 19 per cent. Genetics was 18 per cent and medical care 10 per cent.

What excites you about your career?

Getting out of sitting in a doctor's surgery, and being involved in the corporate sector - seeing how it happens in the business world.

What annoys you?

Seeing companies who have intelligence and the knowledge that healthy, happy staff is good for business, but are not putting anything in place. They see staff health as a benefit rather than an investment.

Best moment in management?

Reaching a point where you no longer have to sell the concept of wellness - cold-calling - as you used to have to.

Worst moments in management?

Dealing with rejection.

What's your management style?

Informal.

And your personality?

Laidback most of the time.

Which management guru do you believe in?

None. First, I'm a doctor, secondly, a manager, and most of what I have come to learn are life truths. What was your earliest career aspiration?

To be a professional tennis player. A number of my friends ended up doing that.

If there was something you could change about your life, what would it be?

To have my family living in New Zealand. Almost all of them are in South Africa. Since having kids, I've realised how important the extended family is.

Favourite city?

Auckland, because it has what I want within reach. I live close to the city, and I like shopping for things related to music.

How do you relax?

I go home and don't think about work. I get immersed in family and I listen to a lot of music. I'm particularly into the Back to Mine series, a range of downbeat compilation compact discs.

Had you not become a doctor, what would you have done?

Something creative, probably producing music.