I have been in clinical practice for 34 years, working in 3 different areas of Canada.

In the past 15 years, I have concentrated on companion animal lameness and pain management employing an integrated approach to patient care. I currently am certified in veterinary acupuncture (IVAS), canine rehabilitation (CRI), animal chiropractic (Options for Animals), and I am a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (IVAPM).

I am actively involved in veterinary association work, having served on the executive boards and various committees of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association, and the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management.

I still work in clinical practice but try to spend as much time as possible hiking, running, or snowshoeing with my wife and 3 dogs. Our cat is invited but prefers to stay inside by the food bowl.

Dr Jerzy Paweł Gawor (1966) graduated in April 1992. He received his PhD in 1996. Since January 2009 Fellow Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. In 2015 successfully completed re-quirements and became Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) and European Veterinary Dental College (EVDC). At present Dr Gawor provides dental teaching services in European School of Advanced Veterinary Studies in Europe and Asia.

His main field of professional activity is dentistry, head and neck surgery and oncology. Several hundred advanced dentistry procedures a year have resulted in a wealth of skill and practical knowledge. Published and presented over 120 publications in veterinary dentistry.

Dr Ellen van Nierop is a Dutch veterinarian. She qualified from Ghent University in Belgium and now lives and works in Ecuador where she runs a small animal clinic in partnership with her husband who is also a veterinarian. In addition to her veterinary qualifications, Dr van Nierop has studied accounting and auditing and, in 2016, achieve a degree as an Engineer in Accounting and Auditing from the Ecuadorian Universidad Particular de Loja.

Dr van Nierop has been the Ecuadorian representative of the WSAVA for AMVEPE since 2009 and joined the WSAVA Executive Board, initially as Seventh Board Member and later as Treasurer.

Dr. Oscar Umaña is a Honduran/ Nicaraguan citizen, he graduated as a Veterinarian from the School of Veterinary Medicine of Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica in the year 2000, he began his professional career with a series of business ventures, with the conviction of maximizing the value offered to the community he serves.

In 2002 he was co-founder of Veterinarios Asociados in Managua, Nicaragua, a company dedicated to veterinary services in equine practice and companion animals. In 2007 services were extended to Costa Rica where he founded Hospital Veterinarios Asociados in San José, where he currently lives and works. In 2010 he co-founded Consulab (Grupo Albeitar), a company dedicated to services in Veterinary Clinical Pathology and Microbiology in Costa Rica.

In 2013 he completed an Executive MBA from INCAE Business School. Since then he participated in the creation of MEVEPES (Veterinary Companion Animal Association of Costa Rica) and has been a board Member since then, and consequently started his involvement in WSAVA. He has special interest for topics such as Leadership, Organizational Culture, Strategy and Pricing. He recently received his ICF Coaching Certification from Ignite Global and is currently working as a consultant for Private Practice owners throughout some countries in Latin America.

My association with WSAVA over the years enabled me to gain enriching technical knowledge, understanding of global issues, and opportunities to forge rewarding friendships with international colleagues. These rich experiences are a fundamental motivator to give back. To ensure others around the world can enjoy such impactful opportunities. I have dedicated my career to the WSAVA’s goals. I believe I can contribute to the further advancement of these goals, particularly in Asia.

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Prior to joining the veterinary world in 2011 Richard’s career was focussed in human resources for a variety of household names. Today, he is the Executive Director of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, and, Senior Vice President of VMG, the UK’s leading veterinary leadership and management association. He holds an Executive MBA, Post Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management and an Associate of the CIPD. He is currently researching his Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on strategic thinking. He believes anyone can achieve success in their careers regardless of their background, and that the key to this is having courage and kindness.

Liat Geller has vast experience in the travel industry, with a focus on meetings and events marketing, and more recently procurement of hotels and venues for large and small congresses globally. Additionally, she has created a portfolio of on hands project management in a variety of fields.

In her somewhat limited spare time, Liat is an enthusiastic sports fan and claims to enjoy long distance running.

Could you introduce yourself and your new role to our members?

I’m responsible for the development, planning and implementation of the WSAVA’s Learning and Development (L&D) strategy and for ensuring that all of our activities in this area reflect our strategic objectives. I’ll also be supporting some of the WSAVA Committees with their projects.

Could you tell us a bit about your career before joining the WSAVA?

I’ve had a varied career in the veterinary profession in the UK. I’m a Registered Veterinary Nurse and spent many years in clinical practice nursing and training student nurses. I then moved into academia and lectured for several years before moving to the UK’s British Veterinary Nursing Association to develop its educational offerings.

More recently, I have been working in industry for a veterinary equipment and consumable supplier in an Associate Director role.

Where does your own passion for learning stem from?

It comes from seeing the positive outcomes it delivers and the difference it makes to students and to improving animal welfare. I find this really rewarding. At a personal level, I also have a thirst for learning and self-development and the sense of achievement that comes with learning new things.

What attracted you to this role?

I was immediately attracted to the role because it encompasses my passion for learning and the ability to work with some wonderful people all committed to the same goal of improving animal welfare globally. I feel very privileged to be part of WSAVA and its mission.

How did you enjoy your first World Congress experience in Lisbon?

I can only describe it as a whirlwind! I had only been in the role for a week so the highlight was meeting so many people, including the Executive Board, Member Representatives, Committee Members, Delegates, Sponsors and Speakers. It was a great way to be fully immersed into the WSAVA. I’d like to thank everyone for making me feel so welcome.

Do you have any advice for members who may be considering how to take their learning journey forward?

Everyone’s learning journey is different. Real learning begins when we can reflect on our own learning needs and how we learn best. It can be easy to focus on topics we enjoy learning about, rather than what we also ‘need’ to learn. It’s good to develop a personal learning plan that is diverse and can lead to improvements of outcomes for yourself and the patients in your care.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

Outside work, life is full on! I’m married and have two teenage daughters. My daughters and I play netball and compete in local and county teams. We have two spaniels. I am an agility instructor and teach a class weekly of owners with a range of dog breeds, which is great fun. I also compete with my own dogs. I’m currently studying toward a Master’s in Business Administration.

Could you introduce yourself and your new role to our members?

I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina, land of Messi (yes, I am a football fan!) I joined WSAVA in March as Digital Content Manager. I’m responsible for the WSAVA website, social media channels, the WSAVA Bulletin and I’ll also be working our new communications strategy.

Could you tell us a bit about your career before joining the WSAVA?

I have a degree in Public Relations and I´ve also completed a postgraduate course in Advanced Marketing. My first jobs were in the education sector, including a role for Cambridge University. I then moved into the legal sector, working for several years at the largest law firm in Argentina before taking a change of direction with a new role as Head of Communications at the Supreme Court of Justice in Argentina.

One day, I came across an advert for a job at the Regional Representation for the Americas of the World Organisation for Animal Health – WOAH (formerly OIE) and this was my introduction to the veterinary world. I worked at WOAH as Regional Communications Officer for the Americas, with a special focus on the EU-funded project ‘Working together to fight antimicrobial resistance.’

And, as I never get bored, I also teach Communications at university.

What attracted you to this role with the WSAVA?

Having worked at WOAH, I was looking for a role in which I could continue learning about animal health and welfare, so I was immediately attracted to this role at the WSAVA. I also really enjoy working in multicultural environments – so it was a perfect match!

What are you most looking forward to?

Meeting all the people that build this great community!

What are your immediate priorities?

I’m currently working on the launch of our new brand, preparing our social media calendar for the next few months and developing a comms plan for the new WSAVA Pain Certificate Module II.

Tell us something about you that may surprise us – perhaps an unusual hobby or skill?

As a child, I spent my holidays with my grandparents in a small village in the hills in Cordoba, a province in the centre of Argentina. Ten years ago, we decided to do something special in the region and we started building a small vineyard with my family. It has released a roller coaster of emotions as we’ve had to deal with unexpected weather conditions, learning how to prune the plants, taking late buses to get to the vineyard because the grapes were ready to be harvested – but, despite the challenges, it has been an amazing family project!

Joyce Anne Dao holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting graduated in 2008. Joyce is a finance professional with broad experience of forecasting, financial reporting, budget development, analysis and system implementation in the private, public and not for profit organization.

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