Richard Bunton’s practice is adult cardiothoracic surgery. His main passion is the teaching and mentoring of trainee surgeons. He was awarded the certificate for outstanding services to the RACS Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery for his roles as an Examiner (9 years), Board member (4 years), Deputy Chairman (4 years), and Chairman (4 years). He graduated from the University of Otago in 1976 and was awarded FRACS in 1983. He travelled to the USA for postgraduate fellowships at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he met Dr. David Adams, and Boston Children’s Hospital, then onto the UK for a Senior Registrar position at the Wessex Cardiothoracic unit. In the UK he gained FRCSEd.(C/Th). He returned to Dunedin in 1986 and became Head of the Cardiothoracic unit and later Chief Medical Officer. At the invitation of the New Zealand Minister of Health he led the establishment of a cardiothoracic unit in Christchurch. He took a surgical team to China for a number of years to teach Coronary Artery Surgery as part of a program sponsored by Project Hope. He is Chairman of a trust that convenes three educational courses, two being 3-week courses, and one a 4-day course, for surgical trainees in Australasia. In 2023 he was awarded a Royal honour (ONZM) form his contribution to cardiothoracic surgery.