17 Mar 2025
New directors, including two senior vets and three vet nurses, are set to join the group’s board ahead of its annual congress next month.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Senior clinicians and practice leaders are among seven new directors who are set to join the board of the Veterinary Management Group (VMG).
The appointments have been announced ahead of the group’s annual meeting, where they are expected to be formally ratified, next month.
The new directors include two senior vets, Animal Trust principal referral vet James Portsmouth and Claire Smith, who owns Beacon View Vets in Kent.
Three qualified veterinary nurses – British Veterinary LGBT+ committee member Leah Morley, Louise Newman, who heads the flagship Blue Cross hospital in London and Andrew Whitfield-Roberts, a White Cross head nurse – are also on the list.
The other new directors are Christy Lightley, head of marketing for IMV Imaging, and certified team coach Helen Mason.
VMG president Liz Somerville said: “We’re delighted to welcome our new board members, who bring us additional valuable skills in key areas such as marketing, communications and change management.
“Their knowledge and experience will help us better support both our members and the wider veterinary profession as we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
The annual meeting takes place ahead of the VMG’s annual congress in Stratford-upon-Avon on 24 and 25 April, for which tickets remain available.
