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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