My passions

When I was young, I was told by a teacher I admired to always be the very best I could be, and that’s stuck with me. So, not only is work extremely important to me, but giving back to the community is, as well. I’ve been involved with Bond University for many years now – my 5 children all went there, and I lecture and teach there, as well.

They asked me to become a member of the Board of Trustees – at that stage, the medical section of Bond was floundering and in danger of not existing. Peter Heiner and I did a lot of work to try and encourage philanthropic efforts. Between the efforts of the Vice Chancellor, then Premier Peter Beattie, the Federal Government and we two humble surgeons, we managed to raise the money needed to ensure the longevity of the Medical Division of Bond University. That’s something I’m really proud of.

Quest for learning

I love new information and new technology. I do a lot of personal development courses, and I’m interested in topics such as marketing and philosophy. When I wanted to improve my lecturing skills, I enrolled myself in a NIDA course, because I wanted to make sure my technique was engaging – I didn’t want the students to fall asleep during my lectures! Fortunately, it seems to have been successful.

My off-time

I have a lot of passions. I love old cars, particularly my 1960 Mercedes 220SE Convertible. I also enjoy entertaining on my boat – I’m in charge of cooking when I’m on board. Scuba diving is a recent hobby, I’m a hopeless tennis player and I go to the gym a few times a week – you’ve got to stay fit in my business. I also fancy myself as a bit of a movie critic.