George is our newest member to The IPG team as our Communications Manager. Before joining us, he covered a varied role of jobs, all with the common theme of telling and sharing stories. From interviewing some of New Zealand's highest profile athletes, to marketing live events at one of Australasia's most prestigious venues, as well as playing music on the side, find out more about George through our Q&A below.
1) Tell us a bit about yourself – What’s your background and your journey to starting RPM Retail and the IPG?
I’ve always been around Pharmacy from a young age. Before or after school, I would head into Dad’s (Phil’s) Pharmacy on Gloucester Street in Christchurch and screw bottle caps on bottles and earn some pocket money to spend at surrounding stores in the city. I grew up in Sumner (Christchurch) where surfing, cricket and rugby were mainstays in the identity of kids there through to high-school age. Once I got to high-school, I knew I wanted to study journalism, and didn’t really have a plan-B. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the New Zealand Broadcasting School’s Journalism degree, which I gained in 2017. From there, I worked as a Sports Reporter at Newshub Sport for 4 years, as well as writing and producing the sports news for the AM Show. Through that time, I also worked as the Arts Coordinator at St. Bede’s College (where I attended high-school). I then moved into a Marketing Role at The Isaac Theatre Royal for two years before being offered the chance to come work in Communications at RPM and The IPG.
2) Outside of work, what are your interests / hobbies?
Amongst my different roles over the past 6 years, music has been threaded throughout. Like a lot of kids, I started by learning the Recorder from an early age, which then moved to saxophone, and then I finally found my calling – Drums. I’ve now been playing the drums for 13 years, and this further sparked my love for music which was somewhat genetically instilled in me through both sides of the family. For the past 6 years I’ve played in a band called ‘The Butlers’ which has been an incredible opportunity and way to play music here and abroad. Aside from music, I love to spend time with my soon-to-be wife Amy and our son Freddy, and our family and friends.
3) What is your ‘why’? – It could be your goals, mission, mantras or sayings that you live by
My mantra is to ‘leave a legacy.’ I’ve commonly found myself thinking about these very big dreams and goals, and while they are great to have, I wanted to be able to compartmentalize these into more achievable things that were within reach. By looking to leave a legacy daily, this can be applied to all facets of my life – Fatherhood, Family, Work, Music etc. Since becoming a father, your purpose shifts radically, and certainly for the best. If I’m starting each day looking to leave a legacy and do so on the best pillars and foundations possible, then I can reflect on each day happily.
4) Where do you see RPM / The IPG in the next 12 months? Think about the team’s goals and aspirations for the year ahead
It’s extremely inspiring and motivating to be working for a team and a business that works for Independent Business Owners. At The IPG, we’re in a position to catalysts for change in the pharmaceutical industry. I genuinely believe RPM and The IPG will become the hub for positive growth in all facets of business for Pharmacy’s in Aotearoa, and with our sound framework and foundations in place, the sky is the limit!
5) Why should Independent Pharmacies sign up with the IPG and RPM?
For me, it’s simple – Because we care.
We care for your business, its growth, and the people. There’s no other company like RPM in the Pharmacy space that delivers top-of-the-line data so clearly and concisely. Data can be scary and daunting, but RPM’s dashboard and reporting system is the opposite. As for The IPG, the time for fellowship and changing things for the better collectively is now, and we are here as the figureheads to drive that change.
