Key People
Mark Bryan
Managing Director
Mark qualified from Glasgow in 1988, and spent the next seven years moving between intensive dairy practice in the North of England and climbing mountains. A stint in New Zealand convinced him that this was the best place to do both, so in 1995 he moved to the Waikato in the North Island.
In 1997 he moved South to head up the dairy side of Central Southland Vets in Winton. He became a director in 2001 by which time the practice had doubled in vet numbers and quadrupled in dairy farm numbers. In 2005 Winton and Gore vets joined to form VetSouth, in an attempt to create a well-resourced clinic environment with top clients that would attract and retain the best vets in the country.
Mark has been instrumental in developing the links with XLVets in the UK and is visionary in his thinking.
Mark Hosking BVSc MBA (dist) MACVSc
Managing Director - Franklin Vets
Mark graduated in 1999 and joined Franklin Vets in 2005, after four years as a dairy Veterinarian in Otorohanga and two years working with intensive dairy farms in the UK. Mark holds a MACVSc post grad qualification in Dairy Cattle Medicine and Production and lead the southern expansion of Franklin Vets opening the Te Kauwhata clinic in 2006 and supporting opening Taupiri in 2007. In 2012 Mark hung up his stethoscope to take over as Managing Director of Franklin Vets, having completing a Master of Business Administration through Waikato University, and has overseen the ongoing growth of Franklin Vets to a 10 clinic practice employing over 50 Vets. Mark has an interest in governance and sits on the board of number of businesses related to the agriculture and veterinary sectors.
Mark and his wife and three daughters live rurally in Waerenga, East of Te Kauwhata, and outside of work enjoys most things outdoors, including mountain biking, fishing, diving and skiing
Jane Langton Burnell
Veterinary Teaching Hospital Director, Massey University
Jane comes from Bristol, England, and qualified from Liverpool in 1985. After 20 years as a dairy vet, she moved in to practice management and became the Chief Operating officer of a large mixed practice in Levin. She is now the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Director at Massey University School of Veterinary Science. Jane is married with 3 sons and lives on a drystock block in the Horowhenua having sold the family dairy farm.
Stephen Hopkinson BVSc
Chief Executive Officer - Taranaki Veterinary Centre
Stephen graduated from Massey University in 1990 and joined South Taranaki Veterinary Club, a solely dairy focussed veterinary practice. In 2003 he became the CEO of the business and lead it through mergers with Stratford and Patea practices to form Taranaki Veterinary Centre which currently employs 29 veterinarians and a total of 80 staff.
Stephen is passionate about the dairy industry in New Zealand and ensuring veterinary business continues to play an integral role in the changes and development within the dairy industry. He has been on the committee of dairy cattle vets branch of the NZVA since 2012 and is the current President. Stephen’s outside interests are his 5 children’s various activities, being a relatively below average lifestyle block farmer and is a volunteer fire fighter for over 28 years - with the highlight being attending the Worlds Champs Road Rescue competitions in Portugal in 2015.
Tim Scotland
Director – Southern Rangitikei Veterinary Services
Tim is a production animal veterinarian mainly working with dairy cattle. He graduated from Massey University in 1988 and started with mixed practice positions before becoming dairy based from 1996. He has worked with SRVS since 1999 becoming a director in 2002.
Tim’s major interests are in dairy cattle nutrition and milk hygiene related herd problems. SRVS offers a proactive service to their dairy clients encouraging preventative methods to improve their client’s herds animal health status, and productivity.
Outside of veterinary work Tim is involved in the local community including the Marton Pipe Band which is still actively competing and has three children that are beginning to start their own careers.
Richard Nortje
Large Animal Veterinarian/Shareholder
Richard has been practicing since 2009. He starts by understanding farm goals and performance before working with farmers on areas where herd health can further improve welfare and productivity.
Consultancy training includes:
- DairyNZ InCalf program
- DairyNZ Healthy Hoof program
- DairyNZ Train the trainer (to offer Stocksense farm staff training) in: Lameness, Welfare, Cow health and calving
- Accredited body condition score assessor
- Facilitator aiding in training of new consultants in the Healthy Hoof program
- Lameness prevention assessor for Synlait Milk Gold Elite farms
- Member of the NZ Lameness Technical Advisory Group
Recently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Preventative Medicine, papers including:
Animal Health Economics, Dairy Production, Ruminant Livestock Feeding and a NZ first research project on:
“The metabolic profile of grazing dairy cows during the transition period consuming a large proportion of their non-lactating diet as fodder beet”.
Continued Professional Development through NZVA in areas of: Mastitis control, BVD control, Trace Elements, Marketing, Ruminant nutrition, Pregnancy testing.
Co-author, through the NZ Veterinary Journal, on trial work including:
- Diagnosis of the Copper and Selenium status of dairy cattle in New Zealand: How many samples are needed?
- Vitamin B12 status and the effects of vitamin B12 supplementation during first year of life of spring calves from pasture- fed dairy herds
Assisted MPI with disease outbreak investigations: Bovine Digital Dermatitis, Pasteurella Type B pneumonia outbreaks in dairy calves, Sporadic bovine encephalomyelitis. IBR outbreak in maiden dairy heifers during mating.