Two new UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officers appointed
Ele Brown and Jorge Martin-Almagro appointed as Deputy Chief Veterinary Officers
Christine Middlemiss, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, has welcomed the appointment of two new UK Deputy CVOs
Ele Brown has been appointed as the UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for national, domestic and exotic diseases and Jorge Martin-Almagro has been appointed UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for international and trade affairs.
Ele is an experienced veterinarian with a background in infectious disease control. She worked in mixed practice in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire before joining the Government Veterinary Service. She is also the Deputy Director for the bovine TB programme.
Jorge is also an experienced veterinarian who has worked in a number of teams across Defra Group and in the Food Standards Agency, giving him valuable experience to support the CVO. He is also interim Deputy Director for Global Animal Health and Trade. Prior to this Jorge has led a number of multidisciplinary teams and worked in International Trade Policy affairs leading several successful market access negotiations, as well as leading veterinary teams and working as a front line veterinarian involved with official controls from farm to fork. He has been appointed on an interim basis pending the formal recruitment of this role.
Welcoming these appointments, Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:
I am delighted to be working with Ele and Jorge. I am confident that they will help meet the challenges we face and provide excellent support to me and others on veterinary and technical issues.
Their appointments come at what is a very important time for Defra and the UK Government, as we manage our biggest outbreak of avian influenza and develop further market access opportunities. They will both be a great asset to me providing veterinary senior leadership team in the Defra group.
Speaking about her appointment Ele Brown said:
I feel really honoured to take on this new role. I have been passionate about national animal health since university so to be at the heart of advising Ministers and contributing to the work of maintaining the animal health and welfare and public health status of the UK, alongside working with our vets, farmers and farming industry is a privilege.
I am very much looking forward to working with the team at Defra, its agencies, the devolved administrations, and all the individuals and groups who all contribute together to not only cement the UK’s place as a world leader on animal welfare in these unique times, but also meet future challenges head-on across the animal health and welfare spectrum.
Speaking about his appointment, Jorge Martin-Almagro said:
It is a privilege for me to serve in this interim role as Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer working with Christine, Ele and the whole set of UK Government officials and stakeholders all over the world.
Over the years, I have developed a strong passion for protecting public, animal health and animal welfare in the Civil Service. This is the perfect opportunity to continue to make significant advances for the UK to be a global leader in the international fora, protect and expand market access opportunities for UK animals and animal products and showcase the UK’s high standards for animal health, welfare, public health and more critically One Health.