SPVS can trace its origins back to 1933, when the Veterinary Practitioners’ League was formed, later becoming the first specialist division of what was then the National Veterinary Medical Association (now the BVA). It championed the interests of practitioners, helping to secure their involvement in the emerging State Veterinary Service as Local Veterinary Inspectors (LVIs). In spite of its name, it attracted membership from across the profession including research workers, officers of local and other authorities, and several professors.
Over the next 20 years it began to focus on the effective running of veterinary enterprises, with a 1957 report concluding that it should be on sound business and ethical lines. SPVS, as it was then, sought to lead by example and that remains the focus today.
To view the SPVS Strategic Plan 2019 – 2021 please click here
President, Anna Judson BVSc MSc MRCVS
Graduated Liverpool 1987. MSc in Nature Conservation 1989 UCL. Partner in mixed practice 1990-2013.
Partner/Director of SA only practice until practice sale in 2018 to CVS. Currently Clinical Director for CVS. Past SPVS Public Relations Officer, ongoing SPVS Practice Standards Rep. Interests include practice standards, equality and diversity and sustainability within the veterinary sphere.
Senior Vice President, Catriona Curtis BVM&S MRCVS.
Graduated 2004 from Edinburgh, 7 years in mixed and small animal practice. Moved to pharmaceutical industry in 2011 – 2017 to work for Bayer Animal Health as veterinary adviser. 2017 – present Veterinary Talent Manager, The Pets at Home Vet Group. MSO and CPD officer and organiser of the Lancaster student seminar 2012 – 2017. Trustee of the SPVS Educational Trust.
JVP & CPD Officer Nick Lloyd BVSc MRCVS
After qualifying at Bristol University, I joined a mixed practice in Devon in 2002, becoming a partner 2004. I moved away from practice in 2018 and I am now involving in testing clinical software for IVC Evidensia. Clinically my interests still are dermatology and client communication. During my limited time away from work and SPVS, my interests are sailing, dancing and hockey, and spending time with my growing family. Within SPVS my main role as been as chair of the Vet XML Consortium, working to improve the transfer of data between practice and industry.
Peter Brown BVetMed MRCVS
I qualified from The Royal Veterinary College in 1982, and after 3 years in mixed practice, joined a small animal practice which I bought and developed from 1988 to 2014, when I sold it to Independent Vet Care. I joined SPVS Council in 2011 and became Hon Treasurer in 2014. I managed the Society’s surveys 2014 – 17. SPVS President 2018-19
Honorary Secretary, Kathleen Robertson BVM&S CertVA MRCVS
My interests are the future of the veterinary profession (all issues – feminisation, loss of GP status, ‘corporatisation’, recruitment and retention, poor undergraduate selection etc etc), business opportunities, soft skills and communication, veterinary politics.
I am also BVA Scotland President.
Honorary Treasurer, Sue Jennings BVSc MRCVS
Graduated from Bristol in 1986 and after a couple of years in mixed and SA practice joined Towcester Veterinary Centre in 1988 becoming a partner in 1994. Having done mostly SA clinical work for the last 25 years I now manage our 22 vet mixed practice comprising a SA hospital and farm practice, a SA practice and 2 equine practices. I joined Council in 2013 and organised SPVS Scubascene in 2014.
Leigh-Anne Brown BVMS MRCVS, Honorary Editor
Graduated from University of Glasgow in 2000, first opinion GP vet ever since. Joint Venture Partner at Vets4Pets Harrogate since 2008. SPVS Hon. Editor, keenly interested in diversity and inclusion challenges within the profession and beyond, and supporting practitioners in practice.
Ryan Davis PgC SAS BVMS MRCVS
After graduating from Glasgow in 2002 I went into mixed practice for 2 years before focusing on small animal work. Through a process of merger and acquisition I ran the main hospital in a 14 site mixed practice with 8 directors until it’s sale to CVS in 2017. I was awarded a PgC in small animal surgery in 2015 and have been on SPVS Council since 2014. My current role is Hub clinical leader for CVS in the Midlands helping develop practices, in particular consulting and surgical skills.
Ben Sweeney BVSc MSc CertAVP MRCVS
Graduated Liverpool 2008.
Liz Barton MA VetMB MRCVS
I graduated in 2004 and have enjoyed a varied career including mixed practice, SA internship, ECC work and shelter medicine. I setup the free online resource hub, Vetsnet, in 2017 to increase accessibility of support initiatives to all members of the profession and including Vet Mums and Vet Sports communities. In 2018 I co-founded WellVet, organising sports and wellbeing events for the profession. My main interests are wellbeing and parenting in the profession and I am involved in the SPVS-Mindmatters Wellbeing Awards.
Andrew Parker BVetMed DBR MRCVS
Silvia Janska BSc(Hons) MSc BVetMed CertVBM MRCVS
I obtained a BSc in Veterinary Science and a MSc in Wild Animal Biology prior to graduation with a vet degree from RVC in 2014. Throughout my 8-year education at the RVC, I also worked in their e-Media department on various projects that enhanced student learning. After graduating I completed an equine internship and recently obtained a Certificate in Veterinary Business Management at Liverpool University. Alongside my primary career as an ambulatory equine vet, I am also involved in other aspects of the industry, particularly veterinary business and leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Pete Orpin BVSc MRCVS
My key focus areas are improving cattle health, lecturing and business consultancy.
I worked for 35 years as veterinary surgeon at the Park Vet Group in Leicestershire, UK and developed particular skills in data management, preventive medicine and leadership. My career started working at the practice in 1984 joining a small team of 4 vets and 6 support staff and helped build a winning team that took the business to a 115 people business with 7 business operations working over 4 geographic locations.
In 1999 I became President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association and developed a keen interest in Health Planning and in practice research with the publication of a wide range of articles, receiving the BCVA Tuckey award for best paper by a practitioner three times. My interest in health planning resulted in the development of Myhealthyherd, a web based health planning program for farmers and vets used by over 3000 dairy farms in the UK.
In 2016 I was awarded Dairy Vet of the Year at the Cream Awards
In the last 25 years more time has been devoted to helping other veterinary businesses thrive as a consultant within Anval Ltd.
In recent years I have been working on a National Johne’s Management Plan which will have engaged over 95% of UK farmers in robust control plans by the end of 2020.
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