Meet the Team

Chief Executive at RAFT Solutions, I graduated from Cambridge University in 1996. My main veterinary interests include reproductive technologies, nutrition, mastitis control and sustainable herd health and production management. Having published a wide range of papers, articles and book chapters, I am also a co-author of the textbook ‘Dairy Herd Health’. I hold the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Fellowship & Diploma in Cattle Health & Production and I’m a RCVS recognised specialist in Cattle Health & Production. In 2015 I was awarded the UK Dairy Vet of the year.

Outside of the position I hold within the RAFT operations team, I also have key roles with other specialist industry businesses, these are;

Current key industry roles;

• Partner and Chair of Bishopton Veterinary Group LLP,
• Chair of the Animal Health and Welfare Board of England (AHWBE),
• Professor of Sustainable Livestock Health and Welfare at Harper-Keele Veterinary School,
• Professor at Institute of Sustainable Health and Welfare (InSHAW),
• Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Advanced Practitioner Panel,
• Sits on the UK Animal Science Advisory Board (ASAB) Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN),
• Fellow of Askham Bryan College,
• Veterinary Products committees (VPC) of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD),
• Chair Animal Health & Welfare Pathway Design Group • Member of the GB Ruminant Health & Welfare Steering Group
• Member of the Nottingham Dairy Innovation Forum,
• Member Industry Cattle Mobility Steering Group
• Member Johnes Disease technical Group
• Member of International Embryo Transfer Society,

Past key industry roles;

• FarmSkills Steering Group,
• GB ‘Cattle Health & Welfare Group (CHAWG),
• GB ‘Sheep Health & Welfare Group’ (SHAWG),
• Veterinary Policy Group (VPG) of the British Veterinary Association (BVA),
• Past Director of the Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS),
• Past-President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA),
• Past-President of the Yorkshire Veterinary Society,
• Past-external examiner Liverpool Veterinary School
• Served on the Veterinary Residues committees (VRC) of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD),

I joined RAFT in 2014 and previously worked for a pharmaceutical contract research organisation where I gained experience of co-ordinating studies and working in a GCP/GLP regulated environment. I have over ten years’ experience in managing projects and portfolios of all shapes and sizes including projects for Innovate UK, levy bodies and pharmaceutical companies. In addition, I have managed industry wide livestock sustainability and disease control programmes; The National Johne’s Management Plan and AHDB’s Pig Health Scheme. I am a Recognised PRINCE2 Practitioner and now manage the RAFT’s experienced Operations Team.

I also sit on the FarmSkills Steering Group, the Askham Bryan College’s Research Committee, and I am an external key opinion leader in the InSHAW project and Director of VetDX, a data facilitation business.

I'm Alister a PRINCE2 Project Manager with a BSc(hons) in Biological Sciences from The University of Leeds. I joined RAFT in Spring 2021, and my portfolio consists of innovation projects in animal welfare, point-of-care diagnostics, PLF technologies and sustainable farming.

I have a passion for my work, as I view climate change as the most crucial issue of our time, and sustainable farming holds a key role in feeding the world’s growing population.

I am an animal, football and music lover, and spend my weekends with my family visiting family farms and going on walks around North Yorkshire.

I joined the RAFT team in 2016 and have a varied and flexible role within the team depending on the changing requirements of the business. One a day-to-day bases my key focus areas are;

• Provision of operational and logistical assistance to the RAFT Chief Executive, this mostly includes support with scheduling, administration, organisation of priorities, collation of information and travel requirements and bookings.
• Provision of administration support to the wider team, moving with the demands of project requirements and ongoing events or training.
• Planning, scheduling, operations and reporting for the SemenRate service. This includes ensuring samples move through the lab in accordance with reporting timescales and collating results into reports.

I enjoy the problem solving and multi-tasking aspects of my role. Outside of work I enjoy running and spending time with my two little ones and husband on days out.

I work as part of the breeding team here at RAFT as an Assistant Advanced Breeding Technician. As part of my role I assist in the SemenRate lab as well as helping vets to carry out breeding services both on farm and on site. I also get involved in some project work wherever needed and look after the residential cattle at Sunley Raynes. I have a dairy farming background, with the family farm just down the road from Ripon where I like to help when I can. Although I now live on a beef and sheep farm where I also enjoy helping out.

I enjoy going on long dog walks in the countryside, meeting up with my friends and baking!

I joined the RAFT team in May 2021 as Marketing Assistant, with my role consisting of running the social media platforms, creating bespoke flyers and materials to promote the various services we offer, keeping the website up to date and general day-to-day marketing tasks to support the numerous projects the RAFT team are working on.

Having a huge passion for marketing, I have competed my Foundation Certificate in Marketing from the Charted Institute of Marketing and now plan to further my development in gaining the Professional Certificate in the future.