Pushed to my limits | Sir Ashley Bloomfield

About this episode

Petra Bagust interviews Sir Ashley Bloomfield about his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and his reflections on leadership and public health.

Sir Ashley Bloomfield spent 300-odd consecutive days walking out to a lectern and telling New Zealand the status of the public health plan. As Director-General of Health through the COVID-19 pandemic, he became one of the most recognisable faces in the country's history. Calm, consistent, and quietly formidable/ a constant presence. Five years on, he's a professor at the University of Auckland, CEO of Public Health and Forensic Science, and, as of March this year, 60 years old. In this kōrero, Petra sits down with Ashley for a broad conversation that moves from COVID reflections to growing up in Tawa, from his challenging leadership philosophy to the public health win he's most proud of, one that's adding nearly a year to the life expectancy of wāhine Māori and barely made the news. Ashley talks honestly about what it was like to lead through the pandemic and why he hopes the inquiry findings will be used to strengthen Aotearoa's future response rather than score political points. He reflects on the stranger who stopped him on a Wellington street and how that moment helped Ashley frame the season. Ashley outlines the four values he returns to again and again, kindness, courage…

People in this episode

Host: Petra Bagust

Guest: Sir Ashley Bloomfield

Topics covered

• COVID-19
• public health
• leadership
• personal reflections
• life experiences

Keywords

• COVID-19
• public health
• leadership philosophy
• life expectancy
• Aotearoa

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Auckland

Places: New Zealand, Tawa, Wellington, Aotearoa

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