About

While Gudrun isn’t quite sure what she wants to be when she grows up she is incredibly grateful to the veterinary degree she has that has given her a passport to a varied, fascinating and fulfilling career so far. Gudrun is a Liverpool graduate with a clinical past in various types of small animal practices, has a current day job in industry, a Graduate Diploma in Law, and is a Past President of the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and Past President of the British Veterinary Association.

Gudrun is particularly interested in the workforce challenges of the profession and ways in which this and veterinary working environments can be improved. While looking into this area Gudrun became more and more aware of the lack of financial safety nets many vets had and how many questions were being asked by vets about financial planning for the future (including her own). This led to her catching up with other like-minded people who are looking to find out how to support vets to support their own financial future and hence VetYou was born.

When not working on various things vetty she is happiest in the middle of nowhere running, biking or swimming.

In early 2017 Ebony Escalona founded Vets:Stay, Go, or Diversify on Facebook, a support group for veterinary professionals who had become frustrated with their careers. The group provides inspiration, guidance, mentorship and networking for those looking to remain satisfied in practice, diversify their careers or develop new skills outside the ordinary practice box.

Ebony has worked as a Equine Vet for many years, in clinical roles that ranged from primary to referral care as well as academic posts, she sits on the executive board of StreetVet, a visiting lecturer at Surrey University and an advisor to VDS Training, and last year was the recipient of the inaugural RCVS Inspiration Award.

But, finance has always led her to put her head in the sand. It has been apparent from her own personal journey that a lack of financial security holds people back. Partly as she feels she doesn't understand it and doesn't like admin, but also that she is not fully appreciative of her worth. Sound familiar?

This is why she was so keen to support and develop VetYOU.

When not juggling life and her portfolio career, Ebony loves getting to ride her horse, or continuing to improve her circus and acrobatic skills.

A Farm vet at heart, Matt spent time in general practice before going “walkabout”, working at the University of Sydney, a number of US vet schools and finally returning to the RVC Teaching practice. With a urge to set up his own business, Matt returned to develop a Farm animal practice group which is now part of a large corporate group. Due to a pathological problem with saying “no”, Matt is currently working with a number of Ag-tech, vet and pet care start-ups, all who are looking to meet the challenges of change, in quickly transforming market.

Financial freedom has always been important and frustrated by the lack of information available, Matt is keen to work with VetYou to help others who want to ensure that financial paralysis doesn’t hold them back from an exciting career.

Matt is a trustee of the Animal Welfare Foundation and at the weekends is regular at the side of sports pitches across Sussex, supporting his three kids.....occasionally finding time to take Finn, his Irish terrier, for a run across the beautiful South Downs.

Paul is a farm animal vet who, after finishing an internship at RVC, was initially an assistant, then Partner and finally Director at Westpoint Farm Vets before selling to Private Equity and deciding to diversify away from clinical practice and set up a leadership training company supplying soft skills training to professionals. This is balanced alongside his passion for the outdoors, with leading expeditions to climb mountains, ski everywhere, and venture out onto the arctic ice cap.

Paul is a trustee of Vetlife and is very interested in how financial security, or lack of, contributes to mental health and wellbeing across the profession, and how giving everyone access financial knowledge can ensure that everyone is able to make the decisions that are right for them to enable them to have a great career and journey.

Paul is never happier than getting out into nature. Climbing up mountains, or ski-touring across ice sheets in the arctic, it’s the adventure and the remote beauty that attracts him.

Ben has experienced all of the highs and lows that clinical life has to offer in his 12 years since graduating from the University of Liverpool, having worked in mixed, equine and companion animal practice.

He is passionate about helping members of the profession and in 2016 this drove him to found and grow his first start up, Simply Locums which rapidly grew to be one of the leading recruitment platforms in the UK.

With a dad who was a financial advisor, Ben had the importance of looking after his financial health drilled in from a young age and took all the necessary steps to make sure he had all of his bases covered-despite this feeling far too grown up and responsible for his liking.

During his time growing his other business he heard some horror stories of vets and nurses who had got injured or ill who fell on financially challenging times so wanted to find a way to help them, meaning that being involved with VetYOU was a no brainer for him and a great opportunity to work with like minded veterinary professionals with the simple aim of helping others.

Ben is a Board Member of SPVS and in his free time, loves being out and about-whether that is playing hockey, doing triathlons, skiing or just taking his mental spaniel Monty out for a walk in the local park.

Mark has worked in finance for over 35 years. He started out with Lloyds Bank at the age of 16 and worked in many different financial roles for the company over 18 years. He then moved to Hazlewoods Accountants where he was a partner in the business specialising in advising veterinary clients. This included accountancy, tax, buying and selling businesses and helping individuals set personal financial objectives. He retired from mainstream work at the age of 50 and now pursues personal business interests.

Mark has seen how people have prospered from having clear financial ambitions but also flounder where it has been given a low priority. He is keen to help people make sure they engage in financial action, especially those starting out or early in their careers.

He enjoys spending his spare time with his family and friends. He is a keen cyclist and will often be seen around the Cotswolds on his bike. In his other spare time he runs charity events and will often be spotted on a football field coaching people of all ages.