Dave Nicol, BVMS, Cert. Mgmt MRCVS
Nicol is a graduate of Glasgow University Veterinary School in Scotland. He initially set out with plans to become a surgeon, but almost immediately was drawn into general practice by the interaction with pet owners and the problem-solving opportunities that cropped up each day. Initially, this meant finding and fixing animal problems, but quickly it became clear that there were plenty of problems with how practices worked as well.
Driven to fix these problems, Nicol was a constant thorn in his bosss side and eventually, after years of nagging, was given the opportunity to mentor his first junior vets. After his initial attempts fell someway short of expectations, he realised that raw enthusiasm alone was not going to be enough. So he began a journey to educate himself on how to be a better leader and coach.
Fast-forward more than a decade and Nicol has undertaken a huge amount of business training and research, building a reputation as a successful business leader within the veterinary industry. He has managed large teams of vets in corporate practices in Britain and has more recently owned, managed and successfully sold his smaller veterinary hospitals in Australia too.
Prior to relocating back to the UK, Nicol sat on the board of Love That Pet Group Australia as Chief Veterinary Officer, where his principal responsibilities were creating and maintaining the standard of clinical care and the building and development of the clinical teams.
Nicol has authored four books, published hundreds of articles in Europe, North America and Australia, and produced a best-selling online training course for vets, nurses and managers.
It is his personal mission to help pets and their people live happy, healthy lives by exploring the daily challenges we face, creating solutions and helping others to grow.
Articles
Why performance management matters–an overview and general introduction (Proceedings)
May 1st 2011The first part of this session will give an overview of the global veterinary market focusing on the UK and US which are both currently stricken by recession. It is the presenter's belief that we are in for a very hard few years as vets and we are no longer a recession proof business.
Read More
Physician heal thyself–leadership in practice (Proceedings)
May 1st 2011There are many different types of leaders and different styles a re required for different people and situations. The idea of a one size fits all is outdated. A good leader must have the ability to recognize what style of leadership best suits the situations that occur in day to ay practice. Learning this skill will enhance your effectiveness and value as a team leader.
Read More
The transformational magic of objectives (Proceedings)
May 1st 2011This session will be particularly good for those who struggle with managing people. By the end of the session, delegates will be understand how the creation of clear and linked objectives for all team members will boost performance and take the ambiguity and certainty out of managing the veterinary team.
Read More
