Veterinary Surgeon, Director and Founder of Vet2Vet Talent

From being seven years old, I knew I wanted to be a vet. It wasn’t just a passing phase, it was a strong drive. But the road to vet school was anything but smooth. My school didn’t support my dream, constantly pushing me toward other careers which required different grades. They even refused to send off my university application unless I included alternative courses.

That only made me more determined.

Undeterred having to resit two of my A-levels to achieve the As I needed, I successfully secured my place at Liverpool. Every challenge along the way, whether it was academic or personal, including my parents' separation during senior school, only reinforced my ability to stay focused and push forward.

Becoming a vet in 2001 was just the beginning. I worked in mixed practice, equine practice, first opinion and referral hospitals, both in the UK and overseas as a permanent and locum employee. More recently my time has been spent in small animal practice. In 2009, my husband and I refurbished a retail site and opened a small animal practice, which we sold in 2018 and continues to prosper today, I still occasionally locum there and am so proud of what we created.

Over the past decade, I have shifted my focus towards leadership and practice management, moving from a Clinical Director position to an Area Director role in operations. I led multiple clinical teams through complex change and integration, always with a focus on collaboration, support, and fostering a strong team culture. My passion for creating positive, cohesive environments has been central to my work, alongside the continued pursuit of excellence in veterinary care.

I took a huge leap in 2024 and left the well paid corporate job. After a short break and a lot of thought I knew the direction I wanted to go and where my strengths lay.

Understanding the veterinary industry, the differing roles and an array of practice structures is of vital importance. I also believe that having a true appreciation of the pressures and challenges of being on the front line in practice makes a huge difference and helps massively when seeking to understand a practice’s requirements and a veterinary professional’s desires.

Spending a large amount of time communicating with vets, nurses and practice leadership teams requires someone who is a good listener, organised and personable.

The best parts of the job are seeing that you have made a positive difference to a whole team, whether that is helping an individual gain clarity about what they are seeking or helping a team find someone with a shared vision that elevates their organisation.

There are days when I feel I am not making any progress or when circumstances beyond your control stop you in your tracks, but I know this is not unique to the role or profession. A quick chat with myself, a dusting off, and I’m back on the horse!

I try to speak to vets and nurses at all available opportunities, attending CPD events and congresses, as well as practice visits. I also spend some time each day on social media, so that I am aware of some of the vacancies available and the desires of veterinary professionals, as well as newer tech solutions.

Helping with CV writing and interview preparation is another important part of the job, as is gaining feedback at each stage.

I love a podcast and a non-fiction read, every day’s a school day after all! When something really resonates with me, I try to share it in the hope that others may find it useful too.

Someone who is self-motivated but loves teamwork and genuinely gets pleasure from others’ success. I think you need to be empathetic and truly care about others’ well-being to build trust and long-term connections. In addition to having strong communication skills, a detail-oriented nature, and the ability to be solution-focused are all key in this field.

Because I am keen to demonstrate that my company, whilst in the recruitment space, is a “whole practice” consultancy, it has been a slow start. This can be frustrating when you are putting so many hours into the business, and all you see are bills! But it is important to trust your own values and stick to your purpose. 

As with starting a clinical practice, recommendation was how we grew; not necessarily the speediest strategy, but the one that felt most authentic. I feel that being honest and transparent is key, and I hope that by raising awareness of how I can help individuals and teams that my business will be a success.