leisure opps
my WORK Jenny Patrickson managing director
Active IQ
J
enny Patrickson has 30 years experience working in the health and fitness industry. She joined Active IQ in 2014 as a commercial director and has worked her way up to the position of managing director after three years with the company. She talks to Leisure Opportunities about some of the exciting things happening at Active IQ.
Tell us more about your work at Active IQ? I am the managing director at Active IQ. I oversee more than 100 accredited qualifications in a variety of disciplines. I am also responsible for strategic planning, business development and business process improvement. I manage a dynamic team who research, develop, implement and support a diverse range of training, professional recognition and career development programmes for the active leisure industry.
Leisure industry professionals share how they got to where they are today
There is an increasing need to equip fitness professionals with medical insight and training
Active IQ is collaborating with Dr Dane Vishnubala, can you tell us more about this? We appointed Dr Dane Vishnubala as our chief medical advisor to work in close partnership with us on a number of projects, including the development of our health-based CPD content. We are all aware of the need for greater physical activity and health related training and understanding within the active leisure industry. Dr Vishnubala has contributed to our qualification offering at a time when there is an increasing need to equip fitness professionals with medical insight and training. The problems relating to inactivity and chronic disease are constantly increasing and there is a clear need to have fitness professionals who are qualified appropriately in both physical activity and lifestyle advice to aid in the solution. With Dr Vishnubala’s appointment, Active IQ is bringing the medical and fitness worlds together.
What are your hopes for the collaboration ?
■■ Dr Dane Vishnubala has joined the company as chief medical advisor Issue 718
The first few months of our collaboration have shown the demand from our customers to forge closer links between the healthcare and physical activity sectors. Dr Vishnubala has brought us closer to the healthcare sector and given us a whole new appreciation of the excellent work they are doing to move closer to the fitness industry. Our collaboration shows that Active IQ is promoting education and understanding between the active leisure sector and healthcare professionals. leisureopportunities.co.uk
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