A former veterinary assistant who trained in the Middle East has spoken about his motivation to succeed in the industry which saw him appointed as a regional director for one of the UK’s leading vet groups.

Hadi Borhani completed his veterinary education in Iran, where he received a qualification of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in the field, before moving to the UK and studying for an MBA to advance his career opportunities. 

After starting his career as a veterinary assistant at Village Vet in 2009, Hadi has since been promoted to progressive managerial roles until reaching his current position as regional director at Village Vet.

He is responsible for all operational matters at Linnaeus-owned Village Vet, Metrovet and top referral centre London Vet Specialists, and said he is thriving on the responsibility of his role, with his experience in various facets of the business standing him in good stead to make a real difference.

Hadi said: “One of the critical components of the role of the regional director is to help guide various teams towards a set of goals.

“This can be challenging at times; however, from my experience across the business I discovered that overcoming even the most challenging tasks is possible by having open lines of communication with all team members.

“I am a big advocate for dissenting opinions in my team, so all issues are appropriately addressed. I think my leadership style revolves around getting a range of opinions on any subject matter and working with the team to come to a consensus on what is possible.”

Hadi said the coronavirus pandemic had provided him and his team with their biggest challenge to date, with patient care and safety top of the priority list.

He said: “The impact of Covid-19 on the veterinary sector in the UK was sudden, far-reaching and varied.

“Across my region, veterinary practices had to pivot swiftly to ensure patients continued to receive the exceptional veterinary care they had become accustomed to, supported superbly by Linnaeus.

“At the same time, I had to ensure the team took proper care of their safety and mental health. In addition, I had to guide my team through a period of extensive change and uncertainty.

“During the height of the pandemic, working with the Linnaeus, we had to instigate new operational procedures to provide veterinary care in ways which had never been offered before.” 

Having experienced various roles within the veterinary industry both in the UK and abroad, one of Hadi’s key ambitions is to encourage diversity in his team. This includes diversity of ideas and opinions, along with diversity in colleagues. 

He added: “In times of unprecedented change in the veterinary sector, new innovative ways of client care are critical to the long-term success and growth of the business. We need to be able to pivot according to the evolving needs of clients and their pets.

“I am a big advocate of getting ideas and feedback from all levels of the business to ensure diversity of thought.”

Having started his managerial career by looking after a single practice, Hadi now oversees a team of five regional support managers and three clinical directors who work alongside him to manage Village Vet’s 30 practices across London, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

With recruitment a key issue across the sector, Hadi said: “I look for people who have a range of experiences. Over the years, I have discovered that such people tend to have an adaptable approach to the evolving nature of the job and can do a great job at inspiring others.”

For more information on Village Vet, visit https://villagevet.co.uk or search for Village Vet on social media.

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