GenPro - the national representative body directly mandated by, and acting for contracted providers of general practice and urgent care centres across New Zealand, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Liddle as its new chief executive.

GenPro chair, Dr Angus Chambers made the announcement today following an international recruitment process which saw significant interest across a large field of applicants, “I am delighted to have secured an individual of Mark’s calibre and to have his expertise taking over GenPro’s reins. Mark is acutely aware of the challenges facing general practice and urgent care and is also very familiar with the national primary care landscape in New Zealand”, he says.

Mark Liddle (pictured) has significant health leadership expertise spanning back to the late 1980s. During this time, he has worked within NHS hospital management in the UK as well as within the New Zealand public system. Mark has spent the last 21 years in the NZ primary care sector in various roles from practice management through to network leadership.

Educated to Masters level, Mark joins GenPro after 12 years in executive leadership roles at Pegasus Health in Canterbury, with his last role there as chief executive.

Mark has an established national profile and is currently the co-chair of Collaborative Aotearoa.

He is a strong advocate for the crucial role of general practice at the heart of primary care and brings a collaborative, solutions focussed approach.

Mark will take up his post on 1 July 2023 and replaces Philip Grant who has been GenPro’s chief executive since its launch in 2020. Philip is stepping down to be able to spend more time with his UK-based family following three years of rapid growth for GenPro which has seen it secure a credible and highly visible national profile as well as significant membership growth.

Mark is relishing the opportunity to continue GenPro’s growth and influence, “I am looking forward to being able to work with the GenPro board and its members to directly influence the sustainability of essential front-line family doctor services and start to reverse the well documented historic underfunding that is now adversely impacting patient care”, he says.