International veterinarians working together

Terese is an animal scientist and calf specialist with more than 15 years of experience working with dairy and beef calf production. Throughout her career, Terese has combined practical on-farm advisory work with applied research, data analysis, project management and knowledge transfer. She holds a PhD in Animal Science, specialising in colostrum management and passive immunity in neonatal calves.
Terese enjoys translating scientific evidence, complex production data and biological relationships into practical, farm-specific solutions that are realistic to implement and create measurable improvements in calf health, welfare, growth and production efficiency. Terese works closely with farmers and farm employees and believe that successful advisory work requires not only strong technical knowledge, but also an understanding of the people, routines and practical realities behind each production system.

David Charles is an experienced production animal practitioner with expertise across dairy, beef, and sheep sectors. As one of only eight RCVS-recognised Advanced Practitioners in Sheep Health and Production, David has spent the past four years as an independent consultant, working with farms, educational institutions, and industry partners ranging from startups to large multinationals in animal health and AgTech.
His commitment to advancing the ruminant veterinary sector is evident through his work as an external lecturer for the RCVS CertAVP and the Harper-Keele veterinary degree, as well as his role as an external examiner for the RCVS SME and synoptic exams. He frequently speaks at conferences across the UK, EU, and USA. Following his clinical practice, David transitioned into industry, focusing on new product development, clinical research, and commercial strategy. He is the recipient of the 2024 BVA Young Vet of the Year Award.

David enjoys working with people on projects that benefit them and the animals they care for. He grew up on a lifestyle block North of Rotorua and spent the first 6 months after graduation working on two dairy farms before starting a mixed practice role in Masterton. This time was formative in his understanding that handling animals quietly is essential to efficient farming and that anything we want to introduce to a system must have a pragmatic application if we want to see change.
David firmly believes that sustainable farming systems are built on healthy, well-nourished and well-socialised animals with supportive infrastructure and personnel.

Bolette Rafn graduated as a veterinarian from the University of Copenhagen in January 2015.
Bolette grew up in the countryside and has worked with farm animals and horses since she was just
13 years old. Bolette's path to becoming a veterinarian was driven by her strong
interest in farm animals. During her studies, she chose to specialise in production
animals, and her final thesis focused on evaluating milk yield in Danish dairy herds
experiencing outbreaks of Mycoplasma bovis.

As the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF), Dr. Awais Anees provides strategic leadership to safeguard animal health and national biodiversity. Dr. Anees is also a PMP-certified Senior Biosecurity Executive and WOAH National Focal Point for Wildlife with over 8 years of progressive, high-impact international experience steering public health, border biosafety containment, and cross-cutting animal-borne disease programs.

Mark Bryan is a veterinarian and researcher working in New Zealand. He is a director of VetSouth, one of two clinical research clinics in the South Island and Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Dairy Cattle Medicine at Massey University. He has promoted methods to retain quality staff in rural practice and to improve veterinary services and research.

Following graduation from Glasgow University in 2010, I have lived and worked at the coalface of veterinary practice in the agricultural heartland of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. I fostered the foundations of my undergraduate degree by completing a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in production animals in 2017. I am passionate about sustainable youngstock production as a key component of the farming enterprise. In 2019 I furthered this clinical interest by undertaking a Masters (Research): Investigating the Failure of Passive Transfer and Colostrum Quality in Scottish dairy calves back at Glasgow University. My time is divided between clinical practice and undertaking freelance consultancy work to provide veterinary expertise to wider industry including food processors and retailers.

I am extremely fortunate to have had an interesting and rewarding veterinary career pursuing a professional vocation in an industry for which I have a continuing passion. I have had experience of a range of dairy farm systems in the UK and NZ coupled with further academic training and professional engagement appropriate to these different systems.
I have always believed that there is a role for quality research within a practice setting and I am now engaged full time on research within Veterinary practice. Bringing science directly into a practice helps keep us all up to date and practicing genuine evidence-based medicine. It is not without its challenges, but it opens other avenues of thought, ideas and opportunities that can be woven into the mix that is practice.

I have more than 20 years of experience as veterinarian and I am working almost exclusively as advisory veterinarian in dairy herds at Vendsyssel Landdyrlæger.
I have previously worked in mixed practice and I have for eight years worked as dairy farmer, which gives me an extensive experience in the meeting with the cattle farmer.
I see the agenda on sustainability as crucial to the future of the cattle industry. We, the cattle industry, must deliver concrete, measurable results on climate parameters and simultaneously show positive results on agendas of welfare, nature conservation, biodiversity and local development. By showing results on the mentioned agendas, we have the opportunity to affect the political agenda and hereby achieve a more sustainable political opinion to develop our industry.

I graduated in Lisbon in 2007, and always had the ambition of working with food producing animals, in particular with cattle.
My Doctoral studies (2007-2009) were a life-changing experience in the sense that I lived abroad for the first time, which taught me a lot about myself, and I had to work amongst extremely demanding individuals, who expected nothing but excellence.
I have taught in Vet School-University Lusófona since 2009 and that has equipped me with a strong ability to engage people to know and do more, considering that not many vet students are naturally interested in farm animals. It has also prepared me for public speaking in different types of audience and provided my research opportunities.
The residency programme at the Royal Veterinary College (2012-2015) has put me in contact with the best specialists in cattle health and production in the world, such as Joep Driessen, Peter Edmonson, Arcangelo Gentile and many others, and obtain the Dip.ECBHM title.
My work at the UK governmental agency APHA (2018-2019) has took my scientific skills and knowledge to a higher level and given me a different perspective of the animal production sector.
My strengths lie not only on my scientific knowledge and clinical experience, but also my solid soft skills, including empathy, flexibility of thought, team work, and ability to inspire others.
I believe my next right step is to use these skills in a consultant role, where I can work with clients to improve their livelihoods and ruminant’s health and welfare.

I am comfortable working across species, though my specialty is in poultry production. My preferred work is in the use of economics in animal health and organisational management.
A current major consultancy role is as the Programme Manager for the Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) programme (www.animalhealthmetrics.org). I have supported the programme in various capacities since 2018, and was part of a small team that raised US$7m from philanthropic donors and government for the roll out phase.
Over the last decade I have gained experience working in managerial and technical roles for two integrated poultry producers in the UK, at livestock veterinary practices in UK and Canada and on food safety and animal health projects in partnership with government in the UK, overseas and with the FAO in South East Asia. I thrive on finding synergies between industry and academia, sharing data and using a collaborative approach to address major industry issues such as Campylobacter control and antimicrobial resistance.
I have a passion for coaching and mentoring which I believe should form the basis of any people development plan.
I am studying for a part time PhD at University of Liverpool in the area of behavioural economics.

Expertise management
Management consulting collective pathology and zootechnics
Livestock audit for service firms, food manufacturers, dairies
Health monitoring of cattle farms and formations
Dairy cows consultant
Expertise robotic treats
Optimization of production and management of breeding (reproduction, feeding and quality of milk)

Veterinarian with special education in cattle diseases and production.
My aim is to help our farmers to produce the best product. I focus on the way of the product, through the foodchain. I work for high quality of welfare, sustainability, durability, lowering of our antibiotic consumption, professional use off antibiotics/narrow-spectrum antibiotics and the importance of bringing the Bovine adviser/veterinarians opinion in mind of both the farmer and the politicians.

Through veterinary science I have had incredible opportunities to work all over the world, in a wide range of roles, and with people from vastly different economical, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Experiencing the animal-related struggles and triumphs shared by humans from Somalia to Sydney has reinforced just how important animal health and well-being are to all of us.
Completing a Master of Social Change and Development has provided a structural backbone to my practice, enabling a more complex understanding of the challenges faced by humans as we work to ensure our populations are fed and clothed, whilst improving on animal health and well-being.
I have always had a strong interest in teaching and helping others understand their animals and their needs, and I have a particular passion for preventative medicine, epidemiology, and welfare.
I have been described as logical, intuitive, and patient by my peers, and thoroughly enjoy learning and sharing knowledge, and using creativity to tackle the complex and wicked problems we face together.

Diether qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2004 from the University of Ghent, Belgium and has been working as a farm animal practitioner ever since. He holds the Certificate in Cattle Health and Production and Diploma in Bovine Health Management. He is an RCVS recognised Specialist in Cattle Health and Production. His main interests are herd health, cattle lameness and practical training to vets

Bovine individual and curative medicine : internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics
Dairy bovine preventive and herd medicine : monthly or bimonthly preventive medicine (+-2200 dairy cows ; reproduction, udder health, nutrition, dry cows management, etc)
Livestock data collection and analyses system implementation
Creation and follow-up of field trials for nutritional and pharmaceutical products
Involved in the developpement of Optiperf (provide Milk recording and associate services to our veterinary practice clients)
Consultant for feed companies: farmers and technicians trainings, technical field assistance, products and technical strategy developpement advice
Expertise robotic treats and milking

Working as veterinary surgeon and veterinary consultant in Ireland. Special interest in education of farmers and undergraduates, past president, hon treasurer, chair food animal group,of Veterinary Ireland. Director of XLVets Ireland.

Emily originates from Lancashire and joined the practice as an intern in 2012 having graduated from the University of Cambridge.
As well as dairy cow medicine, her special interest is sheep and goat production with an emphasis on flock health planning, reducing production losses on sheep units with a special emphasis on neonatal management and infectious disease. She is actively involved in clinical research in practice, student teaching and steers our sheep farmer training.
Emily completed an alternative residency under the supervision of Dr Fiona Lovatt in 2018 and was awarded a European Diploma in Small Ruminant Health Management (http://ecsrhm.eu/ ). She is a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Sheep Health and Production.
She was actively involved in the foundation of Farm Association of Veterinary Students (FAVS) www.favs.org.uk encouraging veterinary students to pursue a career in farm animal medicine. She is also a committee member of the Goat Veterinary Society, the Sheep Veterinary Society and member of the British Cattle Veterinary Association. Emily is a regular contributor to the farming and veterinary press.
BCVA Accredited Johne's Veterinary Adviser
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus and BVDFree England Scheme Adviser

After my studies and my doctoral degree in Hannover I started working as a large animal practitioner in Hessen. My next stop was in Denmark where I worked with dairy cows. Back in Germany I worked as a dairy cow practitioner and passed my exam in Zusatzbezeichnung in Bestandsbetreuung im Erzeugerbetrieb Rind. Then I passed my Postgraduate degree in Herd Health management in Denmark. Since 2018 I've been running a veterinary clinic for farm animals in Schleswig-Holstein, located in the northern part of Germany. We are three practice owners and a total of 13 veterinarians, one vet running the laboratory and a Msc. agri-management.

Thirty years experience in mixed species practice with an specialist interest in sheep health
Recent graduate in Conservation Medicine (Edinburgh) and now looking at disease processes with a one health perspective

Monitoring herds dairy production (cattle and goats) and lactating
Breeding audits
Development of livestock breeding plans
Optimization of production and management of breeding (reproduction, feeding and quality of milk)
Expertise robotic treats and milking

Jon Reader qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1997 from the University of Bristol and has been a farm animal vet in Somerset ever since. In 2001 he gained the Certificate in Cattle Health and Production and then in 2010 the Diploma in Cattle Health and Production. He is an RCVS recognised Specialist in Cattle Health and Production and in 2013 was runner up as Farmers Weekly Farm Advisor of the Year. He holds the NPTC Level 3 foot trimming qualification and has also attended a five day Dairyland foot trimming course in the USA. Jon is a LANTRA approved trainer and is also a member of the Nottingham Dairy Herd Health Group (NDHHG) as well as being a member of the UK Dairy Cattle Mobility Steering Group. Jon is a Healthy Feet Programme mobility mentor but is also a trainer for other mentors. He jointly runs the BCVA advanced practitioner lameness course.

Jon has been involved with lameness all his career and has a particular interest in foot trimming, working with para professionals as well as using technology to assist in the recording and analysis of mobility and lameness records. He has carried out peer reviewed research and has presented papers at conferences both nationally and internationally as well as carrying out consultancy work in China.