ADVISORY BOARD
The Global Advisory Board is a prestigious group of individuals with extensive experience in the animal health industry. This group is responsible for guiding the production and development of the global Animal Health, Nutrition & Technology Innovation Series.
For enquiries please email [email protected]

Jamie Brannan

Aaron Schacht
Prior to this role, Mr. Aaron Schacht was the Vice President of Global Research and Development / Regulatory Affairs at Elanco Animal Healthheld. Before that, he held the role of Global Brand Development Leader – Pain in Lilly Biomedicines. He was the global leader for product development and commercialization activities for LY2951742 – Lilly’s novel CGRP neutralizing antibody – a new potential treatment for prevention of Migraine and Cluster Headache. In 2012, Schacht joined Lilly Biomedicines as Senior Advisor – Strategy & Business Development for Lilly BioMedicines. His responsibilities included oversight of Therapeutic Strategy development, R&D Portfolio Management, and Business Development for Lilly BioMedicines – Lilly’s largest business unit. Past roles included serving as Executive Director, Global External R&D, at Eli Lilly and Company, where he was responsible for implementation of strategies which aim to leverage novel approaches to external partnerships to augment Lilly’s access to pharmaceutical innovation as well as Executive Director of LRL (Lilly Research Labs) Strategy, Portfolio Management and Project Management where he was responsible for strategic planning, R&D portfolio and project management. Prior to these roles, he was Director, Innovation Center in the eLilly organization where he focused on the exploration, incubation and implementation of new business models and capabilities relevant to the strategic evolution of the pharmaceutical industry. In 2002, during a short leave from Lilly, Mr. Schacht was co-founder, President and CEO of Artesian Therapeutics, a Gaithersburg, MD cardiovascular drug discovery start-up. Mr. Schacht began his career at Lilly in 1990 as a medicinal chemist, and spent 5 years in the laboratory working to discover pharmaceuticals to treat cardiovascular disorders. Schacht studied Organic chemistry at the University of Illinois, receiving his Bachelors of Science degree in 1990.

Jean-Luc Michel
After graduating from the University of Pharmacy of Lyon with a Doctorate and from EM Lyon Business School with an MBA, Jean-Luc Michel started his career by creating his own consultancy company. He joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1991 spending 10 years developing a solid expertise in consumer healthcare and nutrition. During this period, he held a variety of senior marketing and sales management positions in France at Monsanto (Searle) and at Johnson&Johnson / Merck & Co where he was an Executive Committee member of the French subsidiary.
In 2001, Jean-Luc joined Merial, a leader in the animal health industry, where he held some key senior roles, such as EMEA Marketing Director of the Companion Animal Global Enterprise; Head of Marketing EMEA; Executive Marketing Director (Pet Business) in the US; VP, Head of Pet Vet Business Unit; and in 2016 joined the Executive Committee of Merial as Head of Global Commercial Development.
After the acquisition of Merial by Boehringer Ingelheim, Jean-Luc was appointed Head of Global Companion Animal Strategic Business Unit and became a member of the Executive Committee of the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit.

Alan Mackay

Linda Rhodes
Dr. Rhodes has over 30 years of accomplishments in human and animal drug discovery, development, biomedical research, and clinical veterinary medicine.
Dr. Rhodes was educated at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (VMD) and Cornell University (PhD). She has an extensive background in physiology, veterinary medicine, and drug development, and many publications in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Rhodes practiced clinical veterinary medicine for five years, with experience in both companion and farm animal practice. As a senior research fellow at Merck Research Laboratories for 8 years, she led pre-clinical biology evaluation of several marketed human drugs. She worked for Merial Ltd. as director of large animal development projects, leading project teams developing novel compounds for a variety of indications. In April 2001, she formed AlcheraBio, a consulting, marketing, and contract research firm specializing in developing new drugs for animals, working with biotechnology and animal health companies world-wide. AlcheraBio was acquired in 2008 by Argenta, and Dr. Rhodes served as executive vice president to transition the company when in 2011, she accepted a position as CEO of Aratana Therapeutics, a startup company developing innovative new medicines for dogs and cats. Subsequently, when the company became public she served as its Chief Scientific Officer. During her 5-year tenure, the company achieved FDA approval of three new pet therapeutics: Galliprant, Nocita and Entyce. She is currently retired and an independent consultant. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Zoetis, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Alliance for Contraception in Dogs and Cats and the Michelson Found Animals Foundation. She founded Feather in Her Cap, a non-profit that recognizes the achievement of women in the animal health industry. She is the recipient of the Iron Paw Award.

Dave Ross

Ellen de Brabander

Rob Kelly

Sébastien Huron

Thomas Zerzan
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Insight into the market dynamics that are having the greatest impact on an industry is what drives our business and its this understanding that allows us to identify and secure the thought leaders who have a true 'vision' to offer. This is a small sample of some of those visionaries that are helping shape the future of animal health.

Jean Scheftsik de Szolnok

Jeff Simmons

Kathy V. Turner
Ms. Turner has been Corporate Vice President of IDEXX since May 2014 and leads the Company’s Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) Companion Animal Commercial Operations. Prior to joining the Company, from 1987 to May 2014, Ms. Turner held various leadership positions at Abbott Laboratories, Inc., a broad-based healthcare company that manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals, medical products and diagnostics. Most recently, Ms. Turner was Divisional Vice President of European Commercial Operations for the Diagnostics Division from 2011 to 2014, and prior to that, Divisional Vice President of Global Strategic Operations for the Diagnostics Division from 2007 to 2011. Ms. Turner holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and advertising from Syracuse University.

Tyre Grant

François Fournier

Tim Bettington
Tim Bettington is executive vice president and president, U.S. Operations and Global Customer Experience. Mr. Bettington leads our U.S. commercial operations supporting our livestock and companion animal portfolios. Additionally, he leads our Global Customer Experience function, where he leverages his extensive experience in the worldwide animal health industry.
Prior to joining Zoetis in 2020, Mr. Bettington enjoyed a successful, diverse and global career in the animal health industry for more than 20 years, working in both the livestock and companion animal sectors. He joined Zoetis from Boehringer Ingelheim where he served as North American Region Head of Commercial Operations for its animal health business. In that role, Mr. Bettington had oversight for the Pet Veterinary, Pet OTC, Cattle, Swine, Equine and Poultry businesses. During his tenure at Boehringer Ingelheim and previously at Novartis Animal Health, Mr. Bettington worked in the U.S., Europe and Australia and developed a deep expertise in sales excellence, marketing, strategy and business integration.
Mr. Bettington holds a bachelor's degree in Agriculture from Western Sydney University and a master's degree in Marketing Management from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydney.

Prasad Vanga
2008 - 2011: Division Director of International Business based at the Zenoaq Beijing Representative Office
2011- 2016: Company President of Nippon Biologicals, Inc. [Zenoaq affiliate]
2013 - 2016: Executive Director of International Business [Zenoaq]
2016: Company President of Vetoquinol Zenoaq K.K.
2016 - 2018: Executive Vice President of Zenoaq
2018 - present: Company President

Julia Loew

Jo Malone
Jo qualified from Glasgow vet school in 1998, she has been actively involved in both clinical and all business aspects of veterinary life throughout her career. Jo has worked for Minster Vets for the last 16 years focusing on small animal clinical practice.
In the last 10 years she has become increasingly involved in managing the practice alongside her clinical role. Being instrumental in growing the practice, improving performance and developing the people within the practice. Jo is passionate about the veterinary profession and the people involved in it.
In 2015 she became Managing Director of VetPartners and then CEO in 2016.

Tom Zerzan

Jason Clay

Dr. Jamie Crittall
Jamie qualified from Bristol Vet School in 1993. He owns two separate UK veterinary practices – one, a family-owned 147-year old multi-branch practice and the other, a 9-year old start-up (which he subsequently sold in December 2018), as well as global healthcare compliance technology company, Virtual Recall.
Co-Founded with fellow veterinarian, Charlie Barton, as a result of their vision to enhance the intimate bond between all owners & their animals. They help vets create more valued customer experiences and drive improved business performance, to deliver better health and financial outcomes. They currently have their patent-pending, communication solution, iRecall® installed in over 1750 practices across three continents. It enables practices to send their clients their own bespoke messages, completely automatically, ensuring every animal and every client receive the appropriate communication - including immediate feedback - every time.
iRecall® sent over 26 million automated and personalized messages by SMS, email & post this year to over 3.5 million clients. helping them to become better informed and more engaged in the health and well-being of their 5.3 million animals, driven by their vets’ recommendations. Improving compliance, adherence and greater practice loyalty, delivering a virtuous value circle. Additionally, iRecall® enhances practices’ digital reputations by capturing over 1 million Net Promoter Scores to date, with an average score of over 80, with promoters encouraged to provide written testimonials and online reviews.
During Lockdown, they developed a new direct-to-consumer solution, OurVet.Shop®. Providing practices with a simple, secure payment gateway to pay for in-clinic services & settling outstanding accounts as well as offering clients a new channel to purchase food and medicines (-including prescription) with home delivery.
Virtual Recall was acquired by Zoetis in July 2020, and Jamie is now Senior Commercial Director within within Zoetis’ newly-formed Digital Practice Services Business Unit.
Jamie also has an all-encompassing knowledge and love for the media, being vet on set for film, tv & commercials for twenty plus years and a 5-year sabbatical in British television. He appeared regularly as a vet on The Big Breakfast; Sky News; BBC1’s The Really Useful Show, and latterly, co-presenting Pet Rescue’s spin off series, Pet Rescuers and Pet Rescue Roadshow. He has radio broadcast countrywide and is a regular speaker at UK veterinary business, technology and marketing seminars, conferences and events. Jamie is a Trustee of the Petplan Charitable Trust. Married with three children and a menagerie of pets and he can often be found mountain biking around the Surrey Hills.

Dr Sam Hoste
Dr Sam Hoste, through Quantech Solutions, has undertaken Agri-Tech leadership roles in business, central government and global consultancy firms. He has led sector-wide animal health improvement initiatives; was instrumental in the establishment of the UK’s Agri-Tech Centres and COO of the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock. He was a director and geneticist at ACMC and NPD, and UK Technical manager for PIC and a non-Exec at the Irish startup, Monford Ag. He is currently working with a number of UK and international Agri-tech companies that provide data, vision and emissions reduction opportunities for farmers and supply chains.

Mark Scott
Mark is Co-Founder and CEO of the pet wellness brand Bella & Duke which has become the largest DTC of natural pet food in just over 3 1/2 years in the UK.

Richard Hobson

Stephane Maddens

Gavin Hodgson

Justin Sherrard

Sven Arnouts

John Kirkpatrick

Janet Helms
