Simon Templeton

Simon Templeton, PGDipHealMgt Graduate.

Simon is a registered nurse, graduating from Christchurch Polytechnic in 1994.

Working in the field of mental health both in New Zealand and the UK, his first management role was with the regional Forensic service at the Canterbury District Health Board. Deciding that managing health services was his forte, he looked around for new challenges and went on to manage the Older Persons Health Community Services.

It was at this time that he started his search for a qualification that was going to both enhance his knowledge and skills, and also his career opportunities. The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Management (PGDipHealMgt) ticked both of those boxes, and after completing the required papers part-time, he graduated in 2014.

While working towards the qualification, he moved into a service manager role at Planning and Funding, at the Canterbury District Health Board. The course content was helpful on a day to day basis in the role, as his function was to manage and effect change across the entire health system for older people.

The skills obtained through completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Management were also crucial to him securing his current position as CEO at Age Concern Canterbury, leading the non-government organisation in all areas.

"Getting back into study after a 17 year gap was a bit daunting, but there was a lot of support offered. Studying something that is relevant and useful on a daily basis, meant that it was extremely satisfying (and even enjoyable!). Every paper I did is assisting me in my current role – from HR and accounting to operational management.

"The mix of both University of Otago Public Health papers and University of Canterbury MBA papers worked really well. It is great to have completed a qualification that is well known and highly respected. I could not praise the lecturers highly enough, they are extremely knowledgeable and great lecturers."