As we mark four decades of YHEC, we’re reflecting on the people who have been part of that journey. We’re catching up with alumni to hear where their careers have taken them and how the field of health economics has evolved. In this blog, John Posnett shares memories from their time at YHEC, and reflects on the career path that followed.
What years were you at YHEC, and what was your role during that time?
I was Director at YHEC from 1993 to 2000.
Can you tell us about a standout project or achievement from your time with us that you feel particularly proud to have been associated with?
YHEC was initially funded by a block grant from three Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) in the North of England, and the work mostly involved option appraisals for NHS properties in the member regions. During my time as Director, the RHAs were abolished and YHEC had to transition to being a fee-earning consultancy without a guaranteed income. The work also had to change to become more focused on economic evaluation and health economic modelling. I believe I was able to help YHEC achieve the transition successfully and become the successful consultancy it is today.
Are there colleagues, mentors, or leaders from your time at YHEC who had a particular influence on your professional development?
In my time at YHEC I was able to recruit a number of bright young health economists, mostly from the MSc programme. Many have gone on to become leaders in health economics at York and elsewhere. Alan Maynard was briefly a member of YHEC and he had a major influence on my career as a health economist.
At what point in your studies or early career did you first become aware of health economics as a discipline? What appealed to you about it, and was YHEC your first role in the field?
I was a lecturer at York from 1976 and only became aware of health economics when I ran the MSc programme from 1988. The joke at the time was that I was learning health economics at the same time as I was teaching it to my first student cohort. Those were among the best years of my professional life.
Can you give us a summary of your career path from when you left us?
When I left YHEC I joined Smith and Nephew and became Vice President and Global Head of Health Economics. Smith and Nephew is a British multinational medical devices company listed in London and New York. I was at Smith and Nephew for 8 years. In 2010, I joined a small independent health economics consultancy (Heron) as Senior Vice President and head of the health economics modelling unit. Heron was subsequently bought by Parexel and I was appointed Vice President. Parexel is a US multinational clinical research organisation. I ran the health economic modelling unit until 2020, when I retired.
Can you tell us a bit more about your current role and what a “day in the life” looks like for you today?
I still do some health economic consultancy for pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and still work with YHEC when I need support. Mostly, however, I like to play golf and spend time with my four grandchildren.
Over the course of your career in health economics, what changes or innovations do you consider to have been the most notable?
Health economics has become a lot more technical, requiring a high degree of competence in modelling and statistics.
Based on your experience, what’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting their career in health economics?
You have made a very good choice!
If you were speaking to today’s school leavers, how would you describe health economics as a career, and what pointers or encouragement would you offer to someone considering it?
The fact is that health economists have always been in high demand, so career prospects are very good. And health economics is a fascinating subject with many sub-branches which provides opportunities to become an expert in many different specialties.
Looking back at your time with us, is there a particular skill or lesson you learned that has stayed with you throughout your career?
If you are in a position to manage a team, try to surround yourself with highly competent people who are technically better than you are. This allows you to focus on managing the team without having to worry about the quality of the work product.
Is there anything else that you’d like to comment on?
York is the pre-eminent university in the UK, and probably the world, for health economics. Remember that YHEC plays an important complementary role as part of the York health economics universe.
If you’re interested in finding out more about a career in health economics, contact us or keep an eye out for vacancies on our careers page.