Full Name: Henry Montague Adams

Position and Company Name: Country manager at InterSystems

Main Activity of the Company: InterSystems’ primary business is supplying and supporting software products

Date and Place of Birth: August 3, 1955, Durban

Schools and Tertiary Education: Warner Beach Primary School, KwaZulu-Natal; St Johns College, Johannesburg; BCom, University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal)

First Job: My career kicked off with a sales position at Burroughs Computers (later Unisys) in Durban

Size of First Pay Packet: R300 a month

Career Path to Date: After five years with Burroughs, I spent two years with McDonnell Douglass IT and three years with Persetel. Thereafter, I spent ten years in my own businesses with partners (we imported and distributed mini computers, developed and sold solutions for manufacturing and legal businesses, and built a SAP implementation business). This was followed by two years with Unihold, and I have been with InterSystems for 22 years

Value of Assets under Your Control: Yearly turnover of more than $1-billion, a high percentage of which is recurring income

Number of People under Your Leadership: A team of ten dedicated individuals in South Africa

Management Style: I firmly believe in a collaborative and supportive approach to leadership

Personal Best Achievement: Being a provincial squash player for a decade; introducing a Harvard medical professor working on HIV in KwaZulu-Natal in the early 2000s to the owner of InterSystems, which led to the establishment of the Ragon Institute, a research organisation focused on the immune system and vaccines, with a particular focus on HIV; the sale, implementation and support of a countrywide pathology laboratory system that has had a huge impact on the quality of care that healthcare professionals deliver across the entire public healthcare system; and my role in the creation and support of the first health information exchange in South Africa

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My parents

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My father – his tireless work ethic and dedication to his craft have inspired me throughout my career

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: President Cyril Ramaphosa – as a fellow South African, I would like to explain to him how healthcare information technology can truly assist in improving quality, outcomes and service delivery in the public healthcare sector urgently. It would also help him understand how healthcare informatics that is clinically focused can assist in delivering on the vision of a National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Johan Rupert – for his ability to balance local and international business ventures while staying true to his roots

Philosophy of Life: Be kind, and always strive to do the right thing, even when no one is watching

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Making a positive impact on South Africa’s healthcare system, with a focus on improving clinical quality and outcomes in both public and private healthcare

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Government’s reluctance to engage with the private sector in healthcare, including in the healthcare informatics space

Hope For the Future: That the structure and programmes to achieve the NHI are changed fundamentally. Everyone agrees with the vision, but it really needs to be achieved in fundamentally different ways. The current situation is that government will be throwing the baby out with the bathwater

Favourite Reading: Anything tech based

Favourite TV Programme: Sport on DStv – nothing beats a good game!

Favourite Food/Drink: All types of cuisine from around the world (a foodie in stealth)

Favourite Music: Old rock, country, classical

Favourite Sport: I enjoy a bit of everything

Hobbies: When I’m not working, you’ll find me on the golf course, playing squash, or keeping up with global current affairs and politics

Car: Honda CRV 2015 model

Pets: Not anymore, but I’ve always had dogs

Miscellaneous Dislikes: The evil of corruption and cadre deployment of African National Congress members

Married: To Moira, for 42 years

Children: Ross, a software developer with a PhD in mathematics, and Claire, who recently completed her MBA after mastering botany

Clubs: Country Club Johannesburg and the SA Jesters Squash Club