Leading from the front – VMG launches three tiers of change

As part of the VMG’s drive to make leadership training and support more accessible, relevant and practical, we’ve just launched a new membership model. The headline change is the creation of three distinct membership tiers, designed to support you at every stage of your leadership career.

They are as follows:

Associate membership – for those not yet in a formal leadership role, but with the ambition to get there.

Professional membership – for those already leading people or practices.

Qualified membership – for those with a higher-level leadership qualification, such as the VMG’s ILM-accredited award, certificate or diploma in veterinary leadership and management, or an equivalent level five qualification. These new tiers reflect the reality that leadership development is not linear. The support you need evolves at each stage of your journey.

In developing our new model, we’ve focused on delivering tangible value. For example, every member receives an annual VMG professional development voucher – a direct contribution towards further learning. Associate members receive £50, professional members £100 and qualified members £150. It’s a simple idea, but one we hope actively supports continuing education, rather than simply providing passive resources.

Practical benefits

Members also receive a range of practical benefits. The member rate for VMG Congress tickets alone can offset the cost of membership, while free access to webinars, “microbursts” – short, practical online learning sessions – provide regular opportunities to learn and develop expertise across a wide range of subjects. Topics covered recently via a microburst include Making SOPs Work in Real Life, Leading Gen Z, Meaningful 1:1s and Understanding Neurodiversity in Practice.

We’ve also tried to keep the cost of membership as affordable as possible. Annual membership starts at £99 plus VAT for associate members, rising to £179 plus VAT for the professional and qualified tiers. Where CPD budgets are so often stretched, accessibility really matters.

For me though, one of the most important aspects of our new offer is the emphasis on community. Associate members are encouraged to participate in discussion groups tailored specifically to them, while qualified members benefit from a dedicated alumni-style community exploring career growth and dealing with more complex leadership challenges.

A clear focus

We already offer peer support mentoring for professional and qualified members and will shortly be introducing “reciprocal mentoring” – pairing experienced managers with associate members.

And beyond leadership theory, we’re keeping a clear focus on supporting our members through the realities of running veterinary businesses day to day. They already gain access to a growing bank of resources covering everything from CMA and VSA reform to practice standards and workplace incivility.

In addition, benefits offered by our company partners include HR and health and safety helplines, cybersecurity guidance and a variety of operational tools.

Taken together, the offer begins to look less like a traditional membership package and more like a practical toolkit for modern veterinary leadership. Our goal is a happy and healthy veterinary world built on excellent leadership. At a time when the sector is facing increasing complexity – from workforce challenges to regulatory pressures – this goal feels more important than ever.

• This article appeared in VBJ (April 2026), Issue 277, Page 15

Chris White is a director of the VMG and its director of operations