Senior Management Team
Dr Susan Longhofer, DVM, MS, DipACVIM: Product Development and Regulatory Affairs Director
Aged 53, Susan joined the Group in June 2005. She has 22 years' industry experience in development and worldwide registration of animal health pharmaceuticals, having worked for multinational corporations including Virbac Corporation, Heska Corporation and Merck Research Laboratories. Her veterinary degree is from Texas A&M University and her MS is from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was awarded Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1992. She has held a number of Academic and Professional Honours including membership on the Board of Directors of the American Heartworm Society and the Executive Council of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics ("AAVPT"). She is currently the Secretary of AAVPT.
Barbara Johnson, Chartered MCIPD: Group HR Director
Aged 50, Barbara joined the Group in April 2008. Prior to this she gained 19 years' human resources management experience within the food and drink industry covering manufacturing, retail, wholesale and distribution. Barbara has previously worked for Allied Domecq plc, Geest plc and Nicholl Food Packaging Limited. Prior to joining private industry, Barbara served for ten years in the British Army.
Paul Sandland, MAAT FCCA: Group Financial Controller
Aged 32, Paul was appointed as Group Financial Controller of Dechra and Finance Director of NationWide Laboratories and Cambridge Specialist Laboratory Services in January 2010. He qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 2005. Paul spent five years post qualification at KPMG, during which time he was part of the team which advised the Group on its acquisition of VetXX in 2008.
Martin Riley: Managing Director, National Veterinary Services
Aged 47, Martin was appointed Managing Director of NVS in 2005. A graduate of the Welsh Agricultural College in Aberystwyth, Martin has extensive knowledge of the animal healthcare and veterinary sectors. Before joining the Group, he previously held several senior positions over an 18 year period with the pharmaceutical manufacturer Merial Animal Health.
Mike Eldred, BA, MBA: President, US Operations, Dechra Veterinary Products
Aged 41, Mike was appointed in November 2004 to head up the Group's sales and marketing drive in the United States. He has over 17 years' professional experience in the US animal health sector, having held senior positions in business development, sales and operations at Virbac Corporation, and international marketing and operational positions at Fort Dodge Animal Health. Mike began his career with Sanofi Animal Health where he managed the pharmaceutical and biological production planning activities.
Mike Annice, BSc (Hons), MRPharmS: Managing Director, Dales Pharmaceuticals
Aged 51, Mike graduated from The School of Pharmacy at Aston University in 1980. Prior to joining Dales in 1990 as Site Manager, he worked within the Hospital Pharmacy Service, Glaxo and SSS International (formerly Cupal Pharmaceuticals). He was appointed Technical Director at the time of the Group's MBO. Mike was appointed Managing Director at Dales in March 2002.
Dr Peter Graham BVMS, PhD, CertVR, DipECVCP, MRCVS: Managing Director of NationWide Laboratories and Cambridge Specialist Laboratory Services
Aged 43, Peter was appointed Managing Director of NationWide Laboratories and Cambridge Specialist Laboratory Services in 2003. Peter graduated from the University of Glasgow Vet School in 1989, where he remained as Small Animal House Physician and Research Scholar until 1995. During this period he was awarded the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Radiology and a PhD on the Epidemiology and Management of Canine Diabetes Mellitus. He contributed to the initial commercialisation of biochemistry and endocrinology lab services at the University of Glasgow. Between 1995 and 2002, Peter was Assistant Professor at the world's largest specialist veterinary endocrinology laboratory in Michigan State University, USA, leading it as Section Chief from 2000. He was awarded Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathologists in 2002.
