Spark appoints new Chief Executive for Spark Health

Spark today announced the appointment of John Macaskill-Smith to the role of Chief Executive for Spark Health. 

John joins Spark following his role as Chief Network Officer at Tend Health. John brings a broad depth of experience from across both public and private sectors where he has held senior roles across a range of organisations, including the Health Funding Authority, Ministry of Health and Primary Care organisations.

John has made significant contributions to the advancement of healthcare and digital adoption in New Zealand and globally, pioneering the development of new ownership and commercial models and introducing innovative clinical and digital services that have been adopted throughout health and other systems across New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East and the UK.

In announcing John’s appointment, Mark Beder, Spark Customer Director Enterprise and Government says, “John is passionate about bridging the gap between technology and outcomes, and leading passionate teams to enable health sector digital transformation, empowering clinicians, and prioritising exceptional patient experiences. Now more than ever, technology is a critical enabler of making patient care more efficient, personalised, and accessible.

“We are pleased to have John join the Spark Health whānau as a natural progression in his mission to continually elevate healthcare experiences for patients and clinicians alike across Aotearoa, for the benefit of all. With John leading our talented team, he will be a huge asset to Spark as we grow our ambitions for greater digitisation of our health sector across Aotearoa and the communities we serve.”

Spark Health won national contracts for digital services under the newly established Te Whatu Ora last year and continues to provide software and IT services, digital infrastructure, and cloud services to enable digital transformation for health sector organisations.

John’s appointment to Chief Executive for Spark Health is effective immediately.

ENDS