Media Statement
11 February 2003
Interim General Manager appointed
The chief executive of Capital & Coast DHB, Margot Mains, has today confirmed the appointment of John Peters as Interim General Manager of Hospital & Health Services.
Margot Mains says the appointment of an Interim General Manager will ease the transition between the current General
Manager, Dr John Coughlan, (who has decided to return to the practice of medicine) and his eventual permanent
replacement.
“John Peters has extensive leadership experience in a wide range of organisations across both the public and private
sectors. His background in health is especially strong, and I am confident that he will provide capable leadership
during the hiatus before a permanent appointee is found for the General Manager’s role,” Margot Mains says.
John Peters was the initial CEO of the Wairarapa Crown Health Enterprise, and has more recently filled three "locum CEO"
positions at DHBs: for seven months at Hawke’s Bay, two months at Wairarapa, and three months at Taranaki. He has also
served as a consultant for DHBs on numerous occasions, advising CEOs and Boards on issues ranging from information
strategies to service reviews.
Mr Peters also has considerable expertise in Information Technology, in addition to this expertise in the health sector.
He is a former Managing Director of Fujitsu New Zealand, and was the global director of information for the NZ Dairy
Board, New Zealand’s largest export business. He has also worked as a consultant in the social and education sectors, in
primary industry and in software development.
“I prefer to work in the health sector, with its unique challenges and highly committed staff,” Mr Peters says. “I’m
delighted to have the opportunity to work with the team at Capital & Coast - the prospect of working in such a key role in my home town DHB is one I am really looking forward to.
“I’m passionate about service quality and hope that I can help the team as it works through the challenges of the next
few months. I also hope my systems and information experience will be useful to the Hospital & Health services team.”
John Peters, who operates his own consulting business (MIS Limited), lives in Mount Victoria with his partner who works
at the Ministry of Social Development. He has two adult children and - in what spare time he can find - enjoys sailing,
both at sea and on land (he is a self-described ‘land yacht fanatic’), and spending time at his beach house at
Waiterere.
He is currently completing an assignment with Hawke’s Bay DHB, assisting them in PHO establishment. He will begin
phasing into his new role as Interim General Manager of Hospital & Health Services at C DHB in late February, and will be in that role full-time from mid March until a permanent appointee is found for the
General Manager’s position.
ends