Bryan Harty: Chief executive of the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin.
Personal & family: Married to Teresa, father of Jack and Kate.
What figure from the world of health/medicine do you most admire?
All the unsung heroes who go the extra mile when caring for a patient.
What alternative career might you have chosen?
I went into hospital management opportunistically. After a difficult day in my job, I sometimes hanker after an occupation which would have guaranteed me job satisfaction, like being a painter and decorator.
If you were appointed Minister for Health, what would be your first priority?
To always focus on the patient in the face of all the other distractions.
Do you have a phobia/what is your greatest fear?
I feel very uneasy when I'm afloat.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one?
I had the strange experience of being admitted to my own hospital last year. You'd have to ask the staff if I was good!
What three books would you bring to a desert island?
The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert and The Secret Island by Enid Blyton.
Have you a fail-safe method of dealing with stress?
A hot bath.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme?
What not to wear.
If you did not live in Ireland, where would you choose to spend the rest of your life? Anywhere in the Sussex countryside.
Summarise yourself in 12 words?
Persistent, impatient, fair, courteous, diligent, attentive to detail with a sweet tooth.
Do you use alternative medicine/therapies?
I've used yoga before; it's great for getting to sleep.
Who or what makes you laugh?
Flan O'Brien, Clive James and Ric Mayall.