Dr Rees received his PhD from Otago University where he studied health workforce policy and planning. He is an incorporated professor at the grade of Auxiliar in ESAN University, Lima Peru where he has been teaching for the past 10 years. Originally from New Zealand Dr Rees has held a variety of health care management, governance and consulting roles in the New Zealand health system before becoming an academic. More recently, he has been involved with EU Joint Actions as a SEPEN expert and as part of the HEROES project as well as consulting for WHO Europe.