New Chair For Veterinary Council Of New Zealand Elected

Dr Kylie Lawson has been elected as the new Chair of the
Veterinary Council of New Zealand. Her appointment follows
Dr Lindsay Burton standing down after three terms as the
Council’s Chair.

“I’m very passionate about the
veterinary industry and animal welfare, which originally
inspired me to stand for the Vet Council, and I am humbled
to be elected as Chair,” Kylie says.

“There are
many challenges happening in the world right now so making
good decisions alongside our stakeholders is critical. New
Zealand relies on a highly functional animal health sector.
It’s exciting to be at the forefront of regulatory change,
as we think about the future of the veterinary industry and
the role the Vet Council plays, from a statutory and
governance perspective.”

Kylie was first
elected to the Council in 2023 as an elected veterinary
member and previously served as Chair of its Complaints
Assessment Committee (CAC). She started work as a small
animal veterinarian after graduating from Massey University,
and has then gone onto varied leadership roles both in the
UK and New Zealand. Kylie has completed the Company
Directors Course at the Institute of Directors New Zealand
and holds a Certificate in Executive Leadership from the
University of Oxford Business School.

In her current
role as General Manager at Animates Vetcare, Kylie leads
clinical operations for 18 veterinary clinics and more than
160 team members.

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“As the Council’s
Chair I’m looking forward to empowering veterinarians to
make good decisions when it comes to adhering to standards,
particularly around antibiotic use and changing operational
practises, such as growing the roles of regulated
paraprofessionals and veterinary professionals to ensure
there is a sustainable workforce,” Kylie
says.

Chief Executive and Registrar Iain
McLachlan says as the regulator for the veterinary
profession, the Vet Council’s purpose is to lead
veterinary excellence, ensure quality and advance
trust.

“The Council is responsible for the
governance of our organisation and, ultimately, for making
sure we carry out our functions under the Veterinarians
Act,” he says. “We’d like to congratulate Kylie on her
election as Chair. She brings a lot of experience to the
role and we look forward to working with her in this new
capacity.”

“We also want to acknowledge the
immense contribution Dr Lindsay Burton made to the Vet
Council during his time as Chair,” Iain
says.

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