Appointment of interim chief of animal health

Professor Steve Edwards, formerly Chief Executive of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, has been appointed as interim Chief Executive of Animal Health. He succeeds Glenys Stacey who has taken up an appointment as Chief Executive of the Standards Board for England. A permanent replacement as Chief Executive will be recruited during the next few months.

Prof. Edwards has considerable veterinary and management experience having worked for Defra, or its predecessor department, for nearly 28 years in both veterinary research and management positions.

As Chief Executive, Prof. Edwards will be personally responsible to Defra Ministers for the delivery of Animal Health’s annual performance targets, and to Parliament for ensuring propriety in management of public funds. He will lead the work begun by his predecessor to guide Animal Health through significant organisational changes, not least implementing the Agency’s Business Reform Programme, which during 2008 will begin to modernise Animal Health’s operating model.

During this time Animal Health will participate in the developing debate on cost and responsibility sharing and on developing animal health and welfare policies, for example in relation to bluetongue and bovine tuberculosis, whilst continuing to deliver an effective capability to respond to outbreaks of exotic and endemic animal disease in order to protect public health and deliver a successful and sustainable livestock industry.