Speakers

Richards, Kate

Kate is Past President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the regulator for vets and vet nurses practicing in the UK. She is Chair of the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative which aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those in the veterinary team, including students, veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons and practice managers. https://vetmindmatters.org/
Kate is a Vetlife volunteer, a charity which supports the veterinary community by providing confidential, independent and free help for vets, veterinary nurses, students and non-clinical staff.

Kate graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh and has extensive experience from working in clinical farm practice, the pharmaceutical industry and senior roles in the UK government. She joined the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs as a livestock veterinary advisor in 2003 after working as a Temporary Veterinary Inspector during the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001. Kate spent a decade in the UK civil service, promoted to non-veterinary roles in Cabinet Office, HMRC and was Principal Private Secretary to three consecutive Secretaries of State for Scotland. A former trustee of the Animal Welfare Foundation and Council member of the British Cattle Veterinary Association, Kate has both breadth and depth of sectoral knowledge.

Kate is currently a Non-Executive Director for Moredun Research Institute (https://moredun.org.uk/) which promotes livestock health and welfare through research and education, SRUC’s Scottish Agriculture College (https://www.sruc.ac.uk/ ) and Food Standards Scotland (https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/) which is Scotland’s public sector food and feed regulator.
Kate’s passion is communicating the breadth and depth of expertise within the veterinary profession, the influence and impact vets have on human health and wider society, mental health and wellbeing, animal health and welfare.

Dr Kate Richards
BVM&S MA DipM MRCVS