Seven veterinary professionals appointed to ‘first of its kind’ wellbeing-focused advisory council
Agilio Veterinary has launched the Veterinary Evolution Council, an advisory group of seven senior veterinary professionals charged with improving team wellbeing, practice culture and finding more sustainable ways of working across the veterinary profession.
The Veterinary Evolution Council has been formed to help shape the future of the veterinary profession, bringing together expertise to promote the long-term sustainability of veterinary practice and the wellbeing of practice teams as the profession navigates regulatory, technological and societal change.
Convened by Agilio Veterinary, its members will work together to identify practical changes that help practices build a more resilient working culture, bringing perspectives from across hospital, frontline practice, education, nursing, business and technology.
It is the first advisory group of its kind. No other UK veterinary software company has previously formed a group of this calibre for this purpose.
The Council members include:
- Emma Barnes (Chair), Managing Director of Agilio Software’s Veterinary Division, bringing two decades of dental and veterinary experience, including growing Linnaeus to 165 veterinary practices and 3,000 staff as Chief Operating Officer.
- Kerrie Hedley, CEO of XLVets, a community of independent practices, trained as a vet before completing an MBA examining the barriers facing women practice owners, which led her to co-found the Veterinary Women in Leadership initiative.
- Andrea Jeffery shaped career pathways for more than 2,000 veterinary nurses as Chief Nursing Officer at Linnaeus, and holds a Doctorate in Education and the RCVS Golden Jubilee Award for her substantial contributions.
- Tracey Morley Jewkes, co-founder of Vetpreneur and international veterinary business management consultant, specialises in creating high performing teams and business growth, with senior leadership experience across independent practice and corporate groups.
- Jack Peploe, CEO of Veterinary IT Services and a Certified Ethical Hacker, brings a technology and cyber security perspective to the group.
- Gerry Polton, an RCVS recognised specialist in veterinary oncology and Hospital Director at North Downs Specialist Referrals in Surrey, joins the group with firsthand experience of leading a large, complex specialist team.
- Rebecca Robinson, President of the Veterinary Management Group (VMG), spent 24 years in clinical practice before moving into leadership, culture and business development, and now works with independent practice leaders at Vet Dynamics.
The Council will meet four times a year for an initial 12-month term, three virtually and one in person at the London Vet Show in November 2026. Over the year ahead, the Council will produce a position statement, commentary and practical resources, including guidance on veterinary nurse retention and an open-access resilience guide for practices.
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Facing the Future: The Veterinary Practice Management Challenges and Evolution Report 2026
The Council is also co-commissioning the UK’s first dedicated report on the operational challenges facing practice managers, in partnership with VMG – launching at Agilio Live (25 September 2026) and presented at the London Vet Show.
Emma Barnes, Chair of the Veterinary Evolution Council, commented:
“What a team – that’s the first thing that came to mind when we confirmed the panel. Every one of these six people has spent their career on the ground, either running a practice, supporting a team or caring for animals, and they all understand the real challenges being faced, both on the frontline and in leadership.
“I wanted this Council to be made up of people who could speak honestly about that, who could bring together a breadth of experience to focus on exactly what needs to improve for the wellbeing of veterinary teams, and how to get there.
“I’m honoured to be working alongside them and I hope what we build together over the next year gives the profession something useful to hold onto for the future.”