2026 Conference Programme

Caroline has worked for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) since 2017, initially joining as a Senior Veterinary Inspector (SVI) based in Exeter, before moving to Scotland and transferring to the Perth office. Since April 2021, she has been a Veterinary Advisor in the Veterinary Exotic Notifiable Diseases Unit (VENDU) within APHA, giving veterinary advice to field vets, policymakers and stakeholders on exotic notifiable disease. In this role, she is the lead vet for vesicular diseases and brucellosis. Caroline has been heavily involved in notifiable disease outbreaks both as an SVI and in VENDU, including the 2021–2024 HPAI outbreak and recent bluetongue incursion. Prior to joining APHA, Caroline predominantly worked in mixed and farm animal practice in Devon.

Ian is a practising veterinary surgeon and co-owner of the Mount Veterinary Practice in Fleetwood. He has a master’s degree in Veterinary Parasitology, and is Chair of the European Scientific Counsel of Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP). Ian has over 130 published peer reviewed articles and papers, and is an editorial board member for the Companion Animal journal. He continues to carry out research in practice, including work on intestinal nematodes and ticks.

After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Public Health and Animal Welfare from the University of Bucharest in 2013, Ioana started her career in veterinary medicine. Dedicated to animal welfare, she worked as a veterinary surgeon in a poultry farm in Romania before moving to the Sultanate of Oman and taking a voluntary position at a veterinary practice with an animal rescue charity.

Looking for a change in career, she then made the decision to come to the UK and work in public health. After successfully completing the Official Veterinarian course in Glasgow, Ioana began her career as an OV. Working in abattoirs in the north of England, Ioana demonstrated excellent skills and strong ambition which did not go unrecognised by her peers. Eager to develop her existing skills and industry knowledge, Ioana joined the team of export certification vets, focusing on exports to China and the USA.

Dedicated to bettering her skills, Ioana was promoted first to the role of Area Resource Manager (ARM), then to the role of Area Veterinary Manager (AVM) and later to Business Development Manager. The implementation of Brexit found Ioana stepping into the position of Acting Head of Exports. For the first two years post-Brexit she was responsible for the successful development of new processes, implementation of EU SPS requirements and delivery of certification across England, Scotland and Wales.

Ioana thoroughly enjoys playing such a key role in veterinary public health, safeguarding the welfare of millions of animals, ensuring food is safe to eat and enabling international trade to continue unfettered.