Women’s veterinary leadership group names new president

The Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI) has named as president and president-elect of its board of directors two industry players who hail from Mars-owned corporations, according to an email from Banfield Pet Hospital.

Kimberly-Ann Therrien, DVM, Banfield’s VP of veterinary quality for the Midwest region, assumed the role of president of WVLDI Jan. 1, and Laura Pletz, DVM, scientific services manager at Royal Canin, has been named president-elect. Dr. Pletz will succeed Dr. Therrien as WVLDI president in 2022.

Dr. Therrien began her career as an associate veterinarian at Banfield Pet Hospital in Tampa, Florida, and has been with the company for more than 13 years. In her current role, she oversees more than 180 hospitals. “Dr. Therrien is committed to advancing WVLDI’s mission of supporting women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy and decision-making positions throughout the veterinary industry,” according to the email.

Dr. Pletz left private practice in 2012 to lead Royal Canin’s Technical Services team; she now leads a team of veterinarians in the Eastern U.S. as scientific services manager. For the past two years, Dr. Pletz has also led the annual Royal Canin Women's Veterinary Leadership Forum. She is “passionate about both working to address the challenges facing today's veterinarians and promoting profession-wide opportunities for women in leadership,” the email says.

Founded in 2013, WVLDI’s mission is “to support women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy and decision-making positions within all areas of professional veterinary activity.” For more information about the organization and how you can get involved, visit wvldi.org.