At the forefront of veterinary innovation lies the Veterinary Innovation Council (VIC), a group dedicated to driving impactful change in our profession through technology, policy, and forward-thinking collaboration. We are thrilled to introduce our new Chair, Dr. Jules Benson, a seasoned veterinary leader who seamlessly blends clinical experience, executive industry expertise, and a passion for technology and data.
In this insightful Q&A, Dr. Benson shares his unique journey, vision for the Veterinary Innovation Council, and how VIC aims to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in veterinary medicine. From harnessing emerging trends like AI and data-driven health outcomes to fostering new initiatives, such as task forces and the Early Adopter Network, this conversation offers a glimpse into the innovative strategies VIC will focus on in the years to come.
Discover how VIC plans to empower veterinary healthcare teams, engage students and industry professionals, and pave the way for the future of pet health and care. Whether you’re an innovator, a practitioner, or a veterinary student, there’s a place for you in this movement.
Read on to learn more, and don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Veterinary Innovation Summit, September 2-4, in Kansas City—the hub where innovation meets action.
Question 1: Could you share your background and what inspired you to take on the role of Chair at the Veterinary Innovation Council?
Answer 1: I started as a practicing veterinarian nearly two decades ago, and then transitioned into industry, working as an animal health executive, strategist, and marketer for the past 15 years or so. I’ve always been on the techy side (built my first computer when I was 15!), and I leaned into that in every role. That helped me pick up additional skills and experience along the way until I started seeking roles and collaborations *because* of the opportunities to work with tech and data. In veterinary medicine, being associated with tech and data almost automatically puts you in the “innovation” space, and so with the work I was doing and being lucky enough to attend the Veterinary Innovation Summit every year since 2018, I had managed to build a great network. It was this network combined with being proactive and good fortune that led me to find like-minded individuals at the Veterinary Innovation Council.
Question 2: What is your vision for the Veterinary Innovation Council during your tenure, and what key initiatives do you plan to focus on?
Answer 2: As an industry, we’ll continue to be challenged by a rapidly-changing landscape. VIC’s ongoing opportunity is to provide veterinary healthcare teams with actionable insights and strategies into the most pressing topics facing our profession. 2025 will see a fresh communication strategy from VIC, engaging task forces to tackle important veterinary issues where innovation will help define a critical path forwards. Between this initiative, the Early Adopter Network, and the Veterinary Innovation Summit, I’m excited to see more people get involved with VIC, and for VIC to be more relevant to veterinary healthcare teams than ever before.
Question 3: How does the VIC plan to address current challenges in veterinary medicine through innovative solutions?
Answer 3: Our ongoing process will be to continually identify the challenges that can and should be innovated upon. Whether that’s through technology and data, or through policy and education, VIC will work with the best and brightest our profession has to offer to surface innovative solutions that affect pets, pet families, and veterinary healthcare teams. Currently, our slate of topics runs the gamut from practice efficiency to cost of care, and from global warming to healthcare models. And, of course, AI!
Question 4: What emerging trends or technologies in veterinary medicine excite you the most, and how might they transform the industry?
Answer 4: I’m most excited about how we use data to improve the lives of our human stakeholders (including vet teams!) and of the animals under our care. In my work, I often look at the value proposition for pet families, and I see data as a critical component in either reinforcing the value of care, or in delivering models with new and different value. There are enormous opportunities to leverage our existing data, improve the quality of our data, and to identify new types of data that will be critical paths for the future. I’m particularly interested in how we better measure health outcomes, how we improve our evidence base, and how we use data to personalize the pet health journey for pet families.
Question 5: How can veterinarians, students, and industry professionals get involved with the VIC’s initiatives to drive innovation forward?
Answer 5: The easy immediate answer is to come and attend the Veterinary Innovation Summit, September 2nd to 4th in Kansas City. It’s the conference where I’ve met so many great people, seen truly life-altering speakers, and had the best conversations. The second opportunity is for innovators in practice and startups to mix it up in our Early Adopter Network – it’s an amazing opportunity for vet healthcare teams to interact with new and exciting products and platforms. In the meantime, everyone should subscribe to the VIC Newsletter – as well as catching up on all the innovation news, it’s where we’ll post any opportunities to join task forces or submit topics for VIC discussion.