Ep 30: Striving To Make Veterinary Regulation Compassionate And Empowering, with Lizzie Lockett

On today’s show, I super-excited to be joined by the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Lizzie Lockett. Lizzie, originally from a farming background in the North of England, is an Accredited PR Practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and holds a degree in English Language and Literature from St John’s College, Oxford, a postgraduate qualification in journalism, and diplomas in the History of Art, also from Oxford. She joined the Royal College in February 2005 as Head of Communications, and later Director of Strategic Communications, she was responsible for all of the College’s communications and public affairs functions. She was also responsible for jointly managing the innovative Vet Futures – an initiative that has been instrumental in shaping the recent direction of veterinary medicine in the UK. In autumn 2014, Lizzie helped set up the Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) which aims to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of members of the veterinary team. Following success in these roles, she was appointed CEO in November 2017 a challenging role for which she has performed admirably, winning plaudits from many quarters for helping to steer and modernise the executive branch of this old British institution at a time when multiple wrecking balls of change sweep through the industry. Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today's show sponsor which is the VetX:Thrive community. If you are a young vet looking to find your feet in veterinary medicine, grow your confidence, avoid burnout and beat your inner imposter, then VetX:Thrive is for you. As a community member, you’ll receive 12 success-skill training modules, access to experienced mentors and incredible toolkits to help you thrive in your career. A year-long membership of the community is available for just $275 and if you use the promocode ‘podcast' then you will receive a further 10% discount. Head to www.vetxthrive.com to redeem this offer and take control of your career. Now, back to the show. For someone in such a prominent position, it was refreshing to hear that she was open, frank and, as is typical for someone hailing from the proud English county of Yorkshire, direct with her opinions and knowledge. She's smart, sharp as a knife, and most importantly clearly cares as much about the people in veterinary medicine as much as she does the animals we swore our oath to protect. This is a conversation I know you are going to enjoy. So, without further ado, I give you, my conversation with Lizzie Lockett.