A Bristol graduate, Chris worked for 30 years in a predominantly small animal practice in Chippenham. In 1998 he joined the RSPCA and the following year became the charity's Chief Veterinary Officer. In 2003 Chris was appointed Veterinary Director at the Dog's Trust and he retired from this post in 2011. He was awarded an MBE in recognition of his work on the Animal Welfare Acts of 2006. Chris is a member of the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding and is also an RSPCA trustee.
Chris Laurence (Chairman)
MBE QVRM TD BVSC MRCVS
David Chennells
MA VET MB, CERT PM, MRCVS
Cambridge graduate David has spent most of his career in general practice, with the last 20 years specializing in pig work as the senior partner of a Bedford practice. David is a former president of the Pig Veterinary Society (PVS) and currently responsible for PVS publications, higher education and cpd. He is a member of the advisory committee of the RSPCA Freedom Foods and veterinary adviser to the technical committee of the Red Tractor/ Assured British Pigs Scheme.
Simon Doherty
BVMS CertAqV MRCVS MRQA CBiol FRSB
Dr Simon Doherty is the Animal Science & Aquaculture Specialist for the UK Department for International Trade. He provides expert advice on trade and investment associated with animal health and aquaculture – from companion animal nutrition and livestock genetics, to veterinary pharmaceuticals and aquaculture installations.
He is a certified aquaculture veterinarian, an accredited CowSignals Trainer, and an Honorary Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. He has been an author on many peer-reviewed publications and reports covering topics as diverse as vaccine design, bovine mastitis, tail-biting in pigs, emerging & re-emerging diseases and salmonid feed additives.
Simon is the Senior Vice-President of the NI Branch of BVA. He is a trustee of the livestock development charity, Send a Cow, and as a STEM Ambassador, he provides careers advice and mentoring services to veterinary school applicants.
Daniella Dos Santos
BSc BVetMed MRCVS
Daniella graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012, having previously obtained a BSc in Molecular Genetics from Kings College London. She has been in small animal and exotics practice since graduating, currently working in Kent and studying towards her Cert AVP Zoological Medicine. Her passion is ethics and animal welfare and she is an active member of the BVA Ethics and Welfare Advisory Panel. Find out more about Daniella.
Graham Duncanson
MRCVS BVSc MSc (VetGP) DProf FRCVS
Over 40 years in practice has not diminished Graham Duncanson’s enthusiasm for his life as a vet. After graduating from Bristol, Graham spent eight years as a Government Veterinary Officer in Kenya. In 1975 he returned to work in general practice in Norfolk, where he continues to work today. A passionate animal welfare advocate, Graham regularly speaks to local groups on welfare issues. Find out more about Graham.
Julian Kupfer
BVSc LLM MRCVS
After graduating from Liverpool Julian worked in mixed practice concentrating on livestock and was a partner in a veterinary hospital in the South West. Since leaving practice he has worked in senior management in the service sector industry and latterly spent several years in the pharmaceutical industry with major technical roles. Julian brings knowledge of marketing, operational management, strategic planning and the charitable sector. He remains active in his local BVA subdivision and is a past president of WCVA.
Nicola Martin
BVSC MRCVS
Liverpool graduate Nicola worked in a small animal practice in Shropshire before joining the PDSA. In 2012 she was appointed PDSA’s Head of Pet Health and Welfare with responsibility for using the charity’s communication channels to educate pet owners and young people about companion animal health and welfare. Nicola’s team developed and launched the highly regarded annual PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report in conjunction with YouGov and ran the education programme which reached over 300,000 children. Find out more about Nicola.
Ben Mayes
MA VETMB MRCVS
Cambridge graduate Ben dabbled in small and mixed practice before returning to his Mid-Surrey Pony Club roots in equine practice on the Surrey/West Sussex border. This is now Mayes and Scrine Equine Veterinary Practice, a five vet, RCVS PSS tier-2 100% equine practice with purpose built clinic facilities. He is a true equine general practitioner with clients from all disciplines of equine sport and is equally happy with routine call outs or in-house surgery. Ben joined BEVA Council in 2006 and was its 51st president.
Fred McKeating
BVMS FRCVS
After graduating from Glasgow, Fred enjoyed a successful and varied career in mixed and small animal practice before joining the Veterinary Defence Society. In his current role as Technical Director at VDS he contributes to the day to day running of the organisation in an Executive Director capacity. His experiences in practice have provided opportunities to compare different ethical approaches to the provision of veterinary care and their effects on animal welfare.
Gudrun Ravetz
BVSc MRCVS
Gudrun is President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and currently works as a Veterinary Consultant to Pet Health Plans from Denplan and as an external interviewer for prospective veterinary students at University of Liverpool. Over the years Gudrun has worked as a clinician in a variety of different small animal practices, both in private practice and charity. As well as clinical jobs, Gudrun has also worked in a number of veterinary related roles including working in industry, management and as a veterinary consultant to a number of companies. Gudrun is also a trained harassment listener, a skill she uses through her involvement with the SPVS graduate support network.
Rebecca Schofield
RVN BSc (Hons)
Rebecca is a registered veterinary nurse and a member of the British Veterinary Nursing Association. She graduated from Harper Adams University in 2013 with an honours degree in Veterinary Nursing and Practice Management. After recently returning from a 12-month sabbatical, she currently works at PDSA in Liverpool. During her sabbatical, she spent time volunteering at multiple international projects including those in Cambodia, Romania and the Galapagos. Having gained a wealth of experience both at PDSA and worldwide, she enjoys working with the community and their pets to improve their physical and psychological wellbeing through welfare-focused education. Find out more about Rebecca.
Ed Varley
BVETMED MSC CERTWEL MRCVS
After working in mixed practice, Ed joined the State Veterinary Service, latterly employed at the heart of Defra's animal welfare policy. Ed prepared the successful welfare case for banning the use of crates for veal calves in the EU and a bilateral agreement which established health and welfare controls for the import of captive birds. He is a founder member and current chairman of the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association and a veterinary adviser to the Farm Animal Welfare Council.
Sean Wensley
BVSc MSc Grad DMS MRCVS
Sean is Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA). He qualified from Liverpool Vet School in 2003, then obtained a Masters degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare from Edinburgh Vet School in 2004. After 3 years working in both companion animal and exotics veterinary practices he joined PDSA as Senior Veterinary Surgeon for Communication and Education. Sean has contributed to animal welfare and conservation projects in East Africa, China, India, Europe and the Caribbean. He is an Honorary Lecturer in Animal Welfare at the University of Nottingham, a member of the Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC) and a committee member of the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association (AWSELVA).
