Deborah BreheChief executive officer, Beacon Hospital, Sandyford, Dublin.
Personal/family: Three children, one granddaughter.
What figure from the world of medicine or health do you most admire?
I admire any individual who chooses to pursue a healthcare career.
What other career might you have chosen?
As a teenager I wanted to be a commercial artist - I guess my interest in photography gives me that escape now.
If you could grant three wishes for the health service, what would they be?
That the improvement process which has already commenced in Irish healthcare with regard to waiting lists and A&E should continue at a rapid pace, that we continue to implement state-of-the-art technologies which save lives and that all healthcare organisations share best practices to improve quality and patient outcomes across the country.
What is your greatest fear?
Like any mother I fear anything which causes unhappiness to my family.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one?
Yes and yes.
When or where are you happiest?
I am happiest when I am with my children and granddaughter - already looking forward to my trip home at Christmas.
How do you cope with stress?
Gardening is a great distraction. I also find dinner with good friends to be a great way to unwind.
What is the trait you most admire in yourself?
Loyalty
What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
I find it hard to cut off from work issues in my personal time, particularly when we were coming up to opening the hospital. Hopefully, that will be easier now we are open.
Do you use alternative or complementary medicine or therapies?
Not personally, but I believe in a holistic approach to medicine and whatever helps the individual.
Who or what makes you laugh?
My beautiful granddaughter Lily.
What is your motto?
You get what you tolerate.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme?
I am a little biased. My daughter and her husband are scriptwriters in California. She wrote and co- produced Law and Order SVU for five years so I never missed an episode. So my favourite? Anything Tara works on. I also love The Daily Show with John Stewart.
What books would you bring to a desert island?
I love to read and have broad tastes - if I have to choose I would bring some Le Carre and Doctorow.