Ceva Animal Health has bolstered its poultry business unit with a trio of new starters, as part of its growth plans and support for poultry hatcheries.
Pippa Abbey BVM BVS BVMedSci (Hons) MRCVS joins Ceva having worked for Poultry Health Services since her graduation from the University of Nottingham in 2017. She has experience providing veterinary advice and services with layers, broilers, turkeys and game birds and even the occasional flock of racing pigeons.
In addition to her clinical work, Pippa has experience teaching all year groups at the University of Nottingham and is president of the Poultry Vet Development Group, which provides support and CPD to vets new to the poultry industry to help them develop their early careers.
Using her skills and experience, Pippa now offers technical support and advice to Ceva’s poultry customers, ranging from routine sampling, such as disease awareness and monitoring studies, to troubleshooting investigations and vaccine administration audits.
She also supports Ceva’s autogenous vaccine company, Ridgeway Biologicals, by advising on how this service can be utilised to help control disease where commercial vaccines are unavailable.
She is joined by vaccination services and equipment manager, John Sheils, who has an honours degree in food technology.
John has three years’ sales experience and five years’ poultry experience as a deputy hatchery manager, where he developed his people management skills and knowledge on chick development and health.
As vaccination services and equipment manager, John supports hatcheries with the day-old vaccination of chicks and the servicing of vaccination machines. He also helps train staff on in ovo vaccine machines and assists with hygiene monitoring and hatchability assessments.
The team is supported by team assistant, Natasha Lovette. Natasha was a veterinary nurse for 12 years prior to joining Ceva and will be utilising the skills and experience gained in practice to assist and support the many aspects of the poultry team, from administrative duties to working with Ridgeway Laboratories on submissions and communications.
Pippa, John and Natasha join Dr Sanja Horvat MRCVS, vaccination and equipment manager, and key account manager, Gavin Kelly, who have extensive experience in the poultry industry.
Dr Helen Houghton, business unit director for poultry at Ceva Animal Health, said: “We are delighted to welcome Pippa, John and Natasha to Ceva’s poultry team. Their extensive skills, experience and passion for the poultry sector will ensure that we can continue to provide technical support and advice to our poultry customers, while navigating the current challenges facing the industry.”
