Sean Conroy was appointed to Chief Operating Officer of Fertility Associates in September 2022, the result of a nationwide search by Farrow Jamieson. Iain caught up with him as he was approaching his first year in the role to check in on how it’s going.

Sean, what sold you on joining Fertility Associates?

It was the work we do, more than anything. The fertility services provided are life-changing for people who need assistance in this area. There are a lot of people I know personally who have had their families through Fertility Associates. I love working in the health sector, and in particular in organisations that make a positive difference - and you can't get much more positive than helping to create a new life! But as well, when I did my due diligence, I was impressed with the way that the company has developed over the years, and with the aspirations and potential it has. I am happy to report that absolutely made a good decision and am very happy and settled in my role!

How does the culture compare with other organisations you have worked in?

It's an awesome culture. We're all here because we love what we do, and we love the opportunity to help people. It's quite different in that there are a range of different professions and disciplines,, from embryologists, through nurses, healthcare assistants, administrative staff and of course the doctors. The great thing is, there is not the hierarchy you can sometimes get in medical practices - we are all here for the same reason, and we all contribute in different ways. Like any organisation, there are things that could be improved on, and we are working on that right now. 

How is Fertility Associates different now than when you started? 

From my perspective, not so much how it's different, it's more about how I perceive it. What we do is not so foreign to me now! When I first started there were so many aspects of our service that were completely unknown - from acronyms like ICSI, GMH, TiMI, through to drugs, and medical procedures - but the fog has lifted somewhat, and everything makes much more sense. But I never stop learning, and that I think is also one of the attractions of the job. 

Any exciting wins in your first year you’d like to tell us about?

Not quite there yet, but I've had the opportunity to lead the establishment of a new clinic in the Bay of Plenty area. It hasn't been all plain sailing, but we are getting close - and will have this up and running early next year. So, ask me again in March, and I will hopefully tell you we got the clinic built, and we've started seeing patients. 

Do you have any big hairy audacious goals right now?

Yes, plenty. Most important to me is to develop partnerships with iwi - there are some really good opportunities to work with iwi and others to provide fertility advice and support to people living in remote or high deprivation areas - these are people who may not have had the opportunity to start a family because they were unaware they actually had fertility issues - or weren't, because of where they lived, able to access advice. This is something that I've started working on, with one of our docs - watch this space!

What’s your Monday morning hack that sets you up for a great week ahead?

Generally, I work on myself, and make sure I'm physically and mentally prepped. I generally have a check of any emails on Sunday night, and (this sounds pretty boring) I make sure I have all of my shirts ironed and ready for the week - and generally laid out on a spare bed in another room so I don't wake my wife up when I leave early! We live north of Auckland, so I like to be on the road before 5.30 or 6 am so the traffic is tolerable. I do a lot of my thinking on the way to work, planning my day and week. On a Monday morning when I get to work I make a list of what I want to achieve. It's normally out the window by about 11, but I try. 

And, finally can I ask, who would you pick for New Zealander of the Year?

Hmm - that's a hard one. I don't actually think about it too much. To be honest, a lot of the people I work with, people I work in partnership with in the community, who make a difference to people and communities in need all deserve an accolade like that. The work they do goes largely unrecognised. So there's no one person that I can put my finger on.