TRANSITION TO TECH Two to three times per week, calls will come through to Medical Rescue from uninsured Australians desperate for help getting home. “Not having travel insurance is one of the biggest hurdles people go through,” explains Michael. “To get from Bali to Australia on a private jet ambulance, you will not have much change left out of $100,000.” “We do try and give people as much advice and assistance along the way as we can, but commercially, you just can’t do freebies all the time. That’s why we push people to get travel insurance." It is these calls that have inspired Medical Rescue to develop a mobile application that will make travel insurance easily accessible on the go, while allowing travelers to make immediate and direct contact with the business in case of emergency for assistance and advice. “That is the scope of the next big thing we are working towards,” says Michael. “There is that gap in the market to fill and we have created a system that is patented and protected for the next 10 - 12 years.” We do try and give people as much advice and assistance along the way as we can, but commercially, you just can’t do freebies all the time. That’s why we push people to get travel insurance THE PINNACLE OF SUCCESS Sometimes, when Glenn and Michael have a meeting in Sydney, instead of flying down they will hop in their Mercedes-Benz AMGs and take a drive. Glenn owns a C 63 S and Michael a CLA 45, and opening the AMG vehicles up on the highway gives the pair a chance to appreciate the cars. “Usually we drive them to pick up the kids from school or drive to work, so it is good to get out there and use them,” explains Michael. Medical Rescue has an affinity with Mercedes-Benz. It has six Sprinter vans fitted as ambulances, and it runs driver training with the Rural Fire Service in Victoria in G-Class vehicles. And the appreciation goes beyond the cars. “For me, Mercedes-Benz is the image of the pinnacle of success,” says Michael. “It is the class of engineering in the vehicles – everything works just how it should, the cars are so comfortable, they look good, they are designed well and they go fast. “Both Glenn and I have AMGs and we love them, they’re great.” As well as the shared passion for Mercedes-Benz, Glenn and Michael also enjoy snowboarding the slopes of Queenstown when they can, so it is convenient that they operate medical services for patients injured on the mountain. Glenn says that since starting the business, he has never watched the clock during work hours, or willed the hours to go faster, because running Medical Rescue is so much fun. But amidst the fun is a steely focus on continuing to take the business from strength to strength. “We have got to stay focused on delivering a professional service that meets the needs of our patients and our clients,” says Glenn. “As long as we are doing that, the business will continue to grow and continue to be a fun thing to be a part of.” D R I V E R BEHIND THE WHEEL 15 M B G C 14