He will serve on the WSAVA Executive Board for a further two years as Past President
Two years ago, at the hugely successful #WSAVA2018 Congress in Singapore, I was privileged to accept the role of President of the WSAVA. That time seems long distant and we are moving in a very different world. Following Singapore and the excellent 2019 Toronto Congress, 2020 has been for all of us, no matter where we live, defined by the COVID-19 pandemic. To quote Dickens – ‘it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ My presidency has spanned two very different years.
I am proud to say that, through these times of adversity, the global veterinary profession has shown its resilience and strength and the WSAVA community has been exemplary in its leadership and support for animal health and welfare and the communities we serve. Our achievements I am most proud of include:
- the focus on professional wellness during our Shaping the Future session at #WSAVA2019, which brought wellness issues in our profession centre-stage as a global issue for the first time
- the launch of the first One Health Certificate, developed by our One Health Committee
- new resources created by our Committees and our Educational Partnerships which continue to increase the range of educational content we offer our members
- the reasoned leadership and the scientific voice of our experts on matters relating to companion animals during COVID-19 crisis. Our resources and webinars on the impact of the pandemic on companion animals and the human-animal bond have attracted a global audience.
As I hand over the presidency, I would like to thank my colleagues on the Executive Board and our Committee Chairs and Members, all of whom give their time so generously to support the development of WSAVA and its members. I would also like to thank our Industry Partners – the Purina Institute and MSD Animal Health, our Diamond Partners; our Gold Partner, Hill’s Pet Nutrition; our Silver Partner, Royal Canin; and Zoetis, which has recently joined as a Bronze Partner. Our work is helping to transform companion animal practice around the world, but we really could not do it without their generous support.
Most of all, however, I would like to thank you all for being WSAVA members.
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Looking ahead, as the pandemic – we all hope – abates, we have much to look forward to, including our hybrid #WSAVA2020 congress in March; new faces joining our leadership team; new Global Guidelines in development and ambitious plans to extend our online activities.
It has a been an honour to serve as WSAVA President and I look forward to supporting our new President through the challenging but exciting times ahead. Thank you for being part of our global veterinary community and I wish you and your families health and happiness.
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