Like so many adult relationships we became friends through our children. I first met Michael about five years ago and our sons have been on the same rugby teams in Blackrock College. We would have regularly met at games and had many business conversations while shouting at our sons on the sideline. Going through life you have very different mentors from time to time but I suppose that even though I am working for a public body and he is with a dynamic, driven company, we still had similar experiences and both of us could relate the difficulties in our jobs to each other.

When did he help you the most?

Well, I think he helped me hold my nerve when people were against me. At one stage I had a very difficult time when there was a move to oust me as president of the council. There were people in the medical press spinning against me and even in the national press. He definitely encouraged me to stick to my beliefs and principles and that if you believe you are right and work hard at it, time will prove you right. I suppose what I was doing was tackling vested interests and he did would have had plenty of experience with that working in the aviation sector. He helped me cope with the flak that I was receiving when I was going about changing things in the medical council.

Did he have ideas on how the health service should be run?

Yes, we would have had plenty discussions about that. He could not understand how such a service could not deliver directly to its patients, there always seemed to be a layer of bureaucracy in the way. He works in an environment where the customer is always right and everything about the business is driven towards making that customer. Now the health service is not by any means the same thing but you can definitely take some business ideas and use them in an area such as health.

What would you say are his qualities as a businessman?

He's a very clear thinker and he is not afraid to try new things. In fact he loves to see people thinking in new ways. He's very analytical and open to criticism.

He is fair and open and you would love to have him on your side. He also believes very much in accountability. I have never worked under him but if I was I would say he would challenge you to bring the best out of you.

In conversation with Jim McGrath