From neonatal to elderly health services, the new South Island Alliance general manager’s career spans across 40 years of clinical and executive management.
Bringing in-depth expertise to the role, Mark Leggett describes his career so far as ‘eclectic’. “My background means that I can bring a new perspective to the mix,” he says. “We all come to work to make a difference – I want to add value to not only the South Island Alliance, but to the South Island health sector as a whole.”
Starting as a Registered Nurse and Midwife, Mark worked his way up to senior executive level and has managed a wide range of health services, for both small and large private and public organisations, commercial and non-commercial. He was the Child and Adolescent Health Service Manager for Taranaki Area Health Board, before moving to Christchurch with his wife – also a Registered Nurse – to pursue a broader range of opportunities in the health sector.
Other management roles include Healthlink South and The Fertility Centre, before becoming General Manager of Medical and Surgical Services for Canterbury DHB, from 2006 to 2009. This role was followed by Vice President of International Services for HHL Group (Healthcare New Zealand) from 2009 till 2016, working alongside some of the highest level business entrepreneurs and leaders in China to develop and deliver community-based services for the elderly.
The father of two was most recently Senior Consultant for Francis Health, where he completed a review of the services supported by the Ministry of Health’s funding of Living Donor Renal Transplants in New Zealand and participated in the current Perioperative Improvement Programme at Bay of Plenty DHB.
Mark says he feels privileged to lead the South Island Alliance Programme Office team. “This is a great opportunity to be part of a South Island-wide initiative, working collaboratively with all the DHBs to deliver better health services to all of the South Island. I have seen the significant progress made in the past five years since the Alliance was established, and given my experience, I know many of the various key players in the industry – I couldn’t not apply for this role. It provides the chance for me to apply everything I have learnt over the years in a wider context, to help improve health outcomes for the entire South Island population.”
