Who is on the Advisory Board?
Current Members
Back Row: Scott Crae, Alistair Gibb, Andrew Draper, Bruce Barker
Front Row: Shona McTaggart, Claire Newton
Advisory Board Biographies
Alistair Gibb
Alistair was with the 3i Group for sixteen years, holding senior positions in both the investment and merchant banking sides of the business. He has worked in economic development in both England and Scotland and helped to develop Scotland's first degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Development. He now works as a consultant and trainer. In 2009 he published 'How to beat the recession'.
Bruce Barker
Having qualified from Glasgow vet school twenty years ago, Bruce spent ten years in practice, working as a mixed practioner before becoming dedicated small animal. Bruce is ex-chair and current committee member of Staffs and Derby Vet Club. As Veterinary Director of an eight vet, multi-site practice who act as host to the Stoke on Trent Vets Now clinic, Bruce shares his time between consulting and practice management.
Claire Newton
Claire qualified from Liverpool University in 1991 and is currently partner and practice manager for Phoenix Veterinary Centre in Camberley, Surrey. She spent three years in mixed practice before spending some time travelling and in locum positions. Claire then decided to concentrate on small animal practice and joined a practice in Sussex which had a large number of breeders as clients. She is also spent time working in various South London practices, large and small and joined a medium sized practice in Surrey in 2004 which had orthopaedic and soft tissue referral work on site. Claire bought the majority share in the practice in 2007, sees most of their first opinion medicine and surgery and is responsible for the practice management.
Andrew Draper
Andrew qualified from Glasgow University in 1988. He married Kate, a fellow Glasgow classmate and together they run Oak House Veterinary Centre, a five vet small animal practice in Nottingham. Outside of work they are kept busy with two young sons, aged eight and four.
Shane Murray
After qualifying from Glasgow University, Shane started work in a mixed practice in Northern Ireland. After moving to England, he worked in a variety of practices ranging from single handed to large multi-branch corporate establishments. In 2001, Shane assisted the Foot and Mouth crisis for twelve months before setting off to work in Australia. Following his return to Northern Ireland he set up a two centre small animal practice in Belfast. He has just finished his period as Chair of BSAVA NI.
Shona McTaggart
Shona qualified from Glasgow University in 1995. She worked in mixed practice in Northern England for two years before returning home to run the family practice in Dalry, Ayrshire with her father where she continued to do mixed work, including abattoir. In August 2008 the practice became solely small animal and Shona is now responsible for clinical work and practice management at the two-man practice. Shona is an active committee member of the Ayrshire Veterinary Association, a BVA division.
Scott Crae
Scott graduated BVM&S from the Royal Dick, where (amongst the usual Edinburgh student activities!) he enjoyed public speaking and debating. After a brief stint in mixed practice he found his calling in small animal care, working in Evesham, Worcestershire and Wokingham, Berkshire where he developed his marketing skills rising to the position of Marketing Manager for a sixteen vet, six centre practice whilst maintaining full clinical duties. In 2001 Scott set up his plate and is now sole owner of Premier Veterinary Care, a four vet, two centre first opinion practice based near Portsmouth, employing fifteen support staff and catering for 12,000 clients. A former chairman of the Berkshire VPMA, his interests include marketing of professional services and products through new modalities of communication, business planning and modelling and the client interface.