With hard work and determination, former veterinary nurse Gary Rutland has climbed the career ladder to success and is now a Business Development Director at VetPartners.
As well as developing his own career, his passion is helping others to progress by arming them with the skills, knowledge and support they need to succeed.
As part of National Career Development Month, Gary discusses why supporting individual career goals creates a great workplace culture….
HERE at VetPartners, we want to create a great workplace culture, where people are encouraged to be the best they can be.
Opportunities to develop a successful career, where team members feel fulfilled, challenged and secure, are open to everyone, whether they are receptionists, veterinary nurses, vets or a clinical director.
My own career path has been rich and varied, and I am very proud to be one of three veterinary nurses to have become Business Development Directors (BDD) at VetPartners, where part of our role is helping to shape the careers of others.
Our BDDs bring strong knowledge and varied skills as some are former practice owners and senior vets or have experience of other businesses and industries. Elevating former veterinary nurses to this level in the business is a real tribute to the nursing profession.
As we have proved, veterinary nurses have so many transferable skills, knowledge and experience that can be used in many areas of the veterinary industry.
I began my career in a multi-disciplinary first opinion and orthopaedic/neurology referral practice in Essex and qualified as an RVN in 2003, before becoming head nurse. I was committed to continually learning and developing my skills and proudly hold an advanced veterinary nursing qualification, DipAVN(Surgical).
But one of my big passions is helping colleagues to get where they want to be in their career, and I achieved an ILM level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring, as well as becoming a veterinary nurse practical examiner.
It is so satisfying when you see people come through the ranks and you have supported them to achieve their goals.
I left veterinary practice to work in the commercial field, and was able to gain further skills in sales and also training practices about products.
When I joined VetPartners in 2019, initially as a Business Support Manager for London and the South East, it enabled me to return to my passion of coaching.
I support practice leaders to grow the business and effectively support their teams, through coaching and training. We have some great practice leaders and we provide them with the tools to become even better at what they do.
Business Development Directors are the point of contact for practices. We support the practice teams and identify opportunities for growth, both in the practices and the people.
I enjoy working with clinical directors to help them achieve their goals and grow. They may want to find their niche in the profession and become a specialist and it is also about helping them to develop their own teams in practice.
One of the things I love most about VetPartners is our culture of collaboration and working together as part of a larger team.
People usually feel more engaged when they believe that their employer cares about their growth, development and wellbeing and supports them to reach their individual career goals, while fulfilling the company’s mission.
My favourite saying is by Richard Branson about training people well enough so that they can leave, but treating them well enough so they don’t want to.
It’s great working for a business where you are encouraged to excel, inspired do your best and feel safe to be who you are.
- Gary worked in a multi-disciplinary first opinion and orthopaedic/neurology referral practice in Braintree, Essex. He qualified as an RVN in 2003, before becoming head nurse.
- He holds an advanced veterinary nursing qualification, DipAVN(Surgical), an ILM level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring and is a veterinary nurse practical examiner (OSCE).
- Following a spell with Bayer Animal Health, he joined VetPartners in 2019 as a Business Support Manager for London and the South East.
- Now a Business Development Director, he helps practice teams and leaders to grow the business and effectively support their teams, through coaching and training.
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners Senior PR and Communications Manager, on 07970 198 492 or email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk