Amanda Boag calls on the profession to embrace change
The new president of the RCVS has spoken of her commitment to diversity and harnessing the positive power of change.
In her inaugural speech, Amanda said: “Along with specific projects, I wanted to highlight a couple of themes which will be prominent in the coming and future years.
“Firstly, the importance of diversity…. Diversity takes many forms and we must not lose sight of these. This includes ensuring our professions reflect the society we serve and are seen as a great and realistic opportunity for people from all backgrounds and, once in the professions, making sure we have an open and supportive environment where everyone is given the chance and the support to succeed.
“Secondly is the inevitability of change and the importance of harnessing it positively for our professions, but more importantly for the public and the animals we care for. This year will, of course, see the enormous change of Brexit and collaborating with the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and others and we will continue to speak forcefully about the importance of our professions and animal welfare.
“There are also a number of ongoing discussions focused more specifically in our industry on issues such as evolution of the veterinary nursing profession, how accountability will work in the vet-led team and the changes that telemedicine is already bringing.”
Amanda was invested as president at Royal College Day – the RCVS Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony – at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on Friday 13 July 2018. She takes over from Professor Stephen May, who became senior vice-president.
An elected member of RCVS Council since 2012, Amanda was re-elected in 2016 to serve another four-year term. Since then, she has served as RCVS Treasurer (2014-17) and on the Education Committee, PIC/DC liaison committee and the Operational Board. She has also played a critical role in the development of the recently launched RCVS Leadership Initiative.
Amanda graduated from Cambridge in 1998 and later became a Lecturer in Emergency and Critical Care at the RVC. In 2008, she took up the post of Clinical Director at Vets Now, where she was responsible for overseeing clinical and professional standards across the business.
She was also Founding President of the European College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ECVECC) from 2014-2018 and served as President of the European Society of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (EVECCS) from 2011-2014.
Image (C) RCVS
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