Former NZ Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan is joining Southern Cross Health Society as head of clinical operations.

He announced his departure from NZ Cricket in September last year, after four years in the job.

Dr Vaughan, who played cricket for New Zealand, is a qualified medical practitioner, graduating through Auckland Medical School in 1991. Before joining NZ Cricket he held a number of leadership roles in the healthcare sector, including CEO of BrainZ, an Auckland based medical technology company, integration manager of MercyAscot Hospital overseeing the merger of Ascot and Mercy Hospitals, leading PricewaterhouseCoopers’ health consulting practice in New Zealand, as well as significant experience in the global pharmaceutical industry.

His role includes a focus on developing Southern Cross' affiliated provider programme and fostering relationships with medical specialists and healthcare facilities across the country. Other key responsibilities include overseeing the underwriting and clinical assessment functions within the society. Not-for-profit Southern Cross is the country's largest health insurer with 830,000 members.