Ted Woodhouse

Name: Ted Woodhouse.

Employer and official job title: Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, director of IT strategy.

What do most people call you? Ted.

Who do you report to? For some things the executive director of planning and performance improvement and for others the CEO.

Nature of organisation and total headcount: Acute secondary and tertiary healthcare NHS trust (the largest in the UK), 16,000 employees, £650m turnover, 3,100 beds.

IT headcount: 120 including telecoms and switchboard staff.

IT budget (as percentage of revenue): 0.7% - very worrying.

Biggest career success? Implementing a new £3m patient admin system in 9 months on time and within budget.

Greatest flop (that you can tell us about)? Letting a contract to Ferranti about 10 months before they went bust.

Greatest influence on career: My wife, Jim Meadlock (founder and former president of Intergraph), and a desire to succeed at IT.

Greatest strength: Managing staff.

Area where you most want to improve yourself: Bass guitar.

What single thing would make your job easier? De-politicisation of the NHS.

If you could only pass on one piece of advice to your successor, what would it be? Concentrate on your staff. Look after them and they will really look after you.

Which business issue/technology excites you the most? Wireless and the internet (still).

What keeps you awake at night? Too much gin.

Home life: I am a city dweller with a house in Wakefield, West Yorkshire; married with two children - daughter still at school, son at Durham University.

Hobbies: Playing bass in a rock n roll band and amateur dramatics.

Last book read: 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves' - Lynne Truss.

Last CD bought/downloaded: Best of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Favourite holiday destination: West coast of France.

What would your personal motto be? Don't take anything too seriously, least of all yourself.

Greatest fear: Not enough gin.

My idea of perfect happiness is...Health, peace, success, good friends… and gin.