Shaping the future of veterinary practice, together.

The Veterinary Evolution Council is an advisory board brought together to promote the long-term sustainability of veterinary practice and the wellbeing of practice teams as the profession navigates regulatory, technological and societal change.

About the Council

Right now, the veterinary profession is navigating real pressure. Workforce shortages, staff burnout, administrative overload and unsustainable ways of working are challenges that practices across the UK face every day.

That is why change is exactly what the Council exists to deliver. Convened by Agilio Veterinary(opens in new tab) and chaired by Emma Barnes, it brings together respected senior voices from across hospital, frontline practice, education, nursing, business and technology. Together, they will identify practical changes that help practices build a more resilient working culture. They will then turn those insights into guidance that makes a real difference to the people running and working in practices.

Meet the founding members

From clinical to frontline, the Veterinary Evolution Council brings together professionals from across the spectrum of veterinary practice: clinical, operational, educational and frontline.

Emma Barnes

Managing Director, Agilio Software (Veterinary), Executive Coach and Business Growth Expert

Emma Barnes joined Agilio Software in 2024, bringing over two decades of experience across various sectors, including dentistry and veterinary care. As former CEO of Riverdale Healthcare, Emma oversaw 59 dental practices across the UK. Prior to this, Emma spent four years as Chief Operating Officer at Linnaeus, expanding the veterinary group to 165 practices and 3000 staff. In her role as Managing Director, Emma will lead the Veterinary and Other Healthcare divisions, focusing on innovation and growth to drive Agilio Software’s continued success and expansion. About Emma

Tracey Morley Jewkes

Co-founder of Vetpreneur and international veterinary business management consultant

Tracey Morley Jewkes, MBA, DipMgt, FCMI, is a respected veterinary business management consultant dedicated to unlocking the potential of veterinary practices. With over two decades of international management consultancy experience, Tracey specialises in fostering competitive advantage through high-performing teams and exceptional service delivery.

A Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Tracey’s career spans independent and corporate sectors, including business ownership and consultancy. With a Master’s degree in Business and accreditation as a Business and Wellbeing Coach, she has made significant impacts in the veterinary industry both in General Practice and Referrals, including holding roles as Managing Director in both independent practices and within Mars Veterinary Health.

Tracey’s leadership has earned multiple accolades, including Best UK Vets awards, Veterinary Wellbeing Awards, Chamber of Commerce Client Experience and Team Awards and UKTI Exporter of the Year. She spearheaded the development of the UK’s most successful health plan and is a recognised public speaker, columnist, and Channel 4 contributor, advocating for exemplary client experience in the veterinary sector.

With a proven track record and a commitment to excellence, Tracey is passionate about guiding businesses towards growth and resilience in an ever-evolving market. About Tracey

Gerry Polton

Hospital Director, North Downs Specialist Referrals & Specialist Oncology Vet

Gerry is a veterinary surgeon and an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Oncology. He is Hospital Director at North Downs Specialist Referrals in Surrey. He derives pleasure from complex challenges and collaborative working. About Gerry

Andrea Jeffery

RVN DipAVN, Lecturer and former Chief Nursing Officer, The Linnaeus Group

Andrea Jeffery is a experienced veterinary nursing leader and educator, with a career spanning clinical practice, academia, and professional regulation. Andrea currently works as Commissioning Editor for VetSkill Publications Limited..

Andrea has held senior executive roles, including Chief Nursing Officer at Linnaeus Veterinary Services, where she led strategic development of career pathways for over 2,000 veterinary nurses, and has provided consultancy to private equity-backed veterinary groups to improve clinical workforce utilisation. Her academic career includes over two decades at the University of Bristol, where she was a Senior Teaching Fellow and Programme Director, shaping undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary nursing education.

A respected figure in the profession, Andrea has contributed extensively to regulatory and professional bodies, including long-standing roles with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and continues to serve on its Veterinary Nursing Disciplinary Committee. She is widely published, a co-author of leading veterinary nursing textbooks, and a frequent international speaker.

Andrea holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Bristol and has received multiple honours, including the RCVS Golden Jubilee Award for her sustained and influential contribution to veterinary nursing. About Andrea

Rebecca Robinson

Business Development Consultant, Vet Dynamics & President of VMG

Rebecca is President of the Veterinary Management Group, the professional body supporting veterinary leaders and managers, and serves as a Business Development Consultant with Vet Dynamics.

A practising vet since 1999, she spent 24 years in clinical practice developing her expertise in leadership, people management, and organisational culture. She is driven by the belief that exceptional leadership elevates the care delivered to pets and clients while creating healthy, fulfilling workplaces for veterinary teams. To strengthen this focus, she has completed extensive coaching training and is a qualified Neuro‑Linguistic Programming practitioner.

In her role at Vet Dynamics, Rebecca works closely with leaders of independent practices, providing guidance across all aspects of leadership and management. She delivers team workshops, facilitates leadership development programmes, and offers one‑to‑one coaching to help practices thrive. About Rebecca

Jack Peploe

CEO, Veterinary IT Services

Jack Peploe is the CEO of Veterinary IT Services, a specialist UK MSP helping veterinary practices modernise, secure, and streamline their technology. A Certified Ethical Hacker, international speaker, and veterinary technology expert, Jack works at the intersection of cyber security, cloud transformation, and operational efficiency. About Jack

Kerrie Hedley

CEO of XLVets, a community of independent practices

Kerrie Hedley is CEO of XLVets, a community of independent practices, where she works with forward thinking independent veterinary practices across the UK to strengthen business performance, leadership capability and long-term sustainability.

A veterinary surgeon by background, Kerrie has combined clinical experience with senior leadership roles. Kerrie completed her MBA in 2019, with her dissertation focusing on a qualitative research project exploring the barriers and enablers to women becoming business owners in independent veterinary practices in the UK. Kerrie subsequently co-founded the Veterinary Women in Leadership initiative and is passionate about supporting the evolution of the veterinary profession to ensure it remains progressive, values-led and capable of delivering high standards of care in a changing landscape. She brings a practical, systems-focused perspective and a commitment to working collaboratively across the profession to drive meaningful change.

Outside of work my time is spent keeping up with the busy demands of a toddler, a chocolate Labrador, two aging cats and three chickens! About Kerrie

What members will do

Share

Share insight into the challenges facing practices today

Identify

Help identify where guidance or support could make a real difference

Champion

Champion positive practice culture across their professional networks

Create

Co-create and review outputs such as commentaries, roundtable summaries and guidance materials

Facing the Future: The Veterinary Practice Management Challenges and Evolution Report

The Council’s work is grounded in evidence. In partnership with The Veterinary Management Group (VMG), Agilio Software is commissioning the most comprehensive research report on the operational and people challenges facing practice managers that the sector has seen. The findings will be revealed at Agilio Live on 25th September 2026 and presented to the wider profession at the London Vet Show in November.

 View the results(opens in new tab)

What the Council will produce

Over the next twelve months, the Council will publish four outputs, free to access for the whole profession:

A position statement

On the current state of veterinary practice management

A commentary piece

On staff wellbeing and what the data tells us

A practical resource

On nurse retention and development

An open-access resilience guide

For all practices

Where to find us

London Vet Show

19th to 20th November 2026 | ExCeL London

The Council will host a speaking slot on the main programme, presenting the research findings to the wider profession.Find out more(opens in new tab)

Convened by Agilio Software

The Veterinary Evolution Council is an independent advisory board hosted and coordinated by Agilio Veterinary. Agilio builds HR, rota and online CPD software designed specifically for independent veterinary practices.Find out about Agilio Veterinary