Who got that job?

Job title: General Manager, Planning & Strategy, Auckland District Health Board

Dr Denis Jury, 51, is not a man easily discouraged by controversy, something he knows he'll experience his fair share of in his new job.

"Working in the health sector today at any level is not without its controversy," he says.

"Somebody somewhere is always going to feel aggrieved by the decisions made, but that's just the nature of the beast."

Playing a crucial role in helping New Zealand's largest health provider allocate its resources between competing and complex needs, he knows his decisions will be questioned by staff, patients, the community and interest groups.

And he's prepared to face the questioners.

"If good thinking and preparation have gone into the decision, I'm prepared to face people and talk that through and create a context for why decisions have been made," he says.

But as well as controversy, there's another defining characteristic of working in the health sector, and that's what attracted him to his new job.

"It's a very difficult sector, but it's a very rewarding sector," he says. "That's what draws you back, the potential to make a difference."

After gaining a PhD in biochemistry, Jury worked for 12 years in research. Then he had various management roles for Health Waikato before moving to his current job as product and business development manager for ViaLactia Biosciences.

In some ways he's come a long way from "playing with test tubes", he says, but when he moves into his new role next week he'll still be applying scientific skills and disciplines.

And in trying to make the best use of limited health funding for ever-growing health needs, he'll have that same motivation that drew him to health research in the first place.

"At the end of the day it's a worthwhile endeavour, it's more than just picking up a paycheque."