Alick Simmons is a seasoned veterinary professional with extensive achievements and experience in operational and policy environments. He spent most of his career in public service promoting animal and public health and welfare involving disease control at the national and international level. Alick has extensive experience in epidemic disease risk assessment and management, public health particularly with zoonoses and in animal welfare and ethics.
He was the UK Government's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer (2007-2016) and the UK Food Standards Agency''s Veterinary Director (2004-2007).
Since leaving Government service in 2016 Alick has advised numerous commercial and government bodies on the technical and legal aspects of animal disease control including the eradication of epidemic disease, the design and management of national veterinary services, disease risk assessment, animal identification and movement recording and the humane slaughter of livestock.
Alick has had a lifelong interest in wildlife and conservation and since 2016, he has been increasingly involved in practical conservation work as well as writing on animal ethics and welfare.
In 2016 he chaired the British Veterinary Association's Working Group on Brexit. He is currently chair of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare and the Humane Slaughter Association. He serves as a Trustee of the Dorset Wildlife Trust and chairs the EPIC disease control steering group on behalf of the Scottish Government.
