Our People

Home
About
Our People

Our Patron

Prof Peter Doherty AC FRS FMedSci

Peter Doherty shared the 1996 Nobel Medicine Prize for his discoveries about transplantation and “killer” T cell-mediated immunity, an understanding that is currently translating into new cancer treatments. The first veterinarian to win a Nobel, he was also Australian of the Year in 1997. Peter is still active in research and also maintains a public profile. His twitter feed mixes his outspoken views on the need for urgent climate action with his fantastically dry sense of humour.

Our Ambassador

Dr Geoff Wilson

Dr. Geoff Wilson is a world-class polar explorer, dynamic keynote speaker, entrepreneur, family man and veterinary surgeon. Geoff holds multiple records for unsupported solo expeditions in Antarctica including the longest unsupported solo polar journey in history. He was also the first person to summit Antarctica's Dome Argus. In partnership with his son, Geoff’s next project is a docu-series as they explore the world's most isolated and vulnerable environments. Geoff also founded VetLove in 2015, which is a family-run and Australian-owned company of 13 state-of-the-art animal hospitals across Northern NSW and South East QLD, all focused on Love, Compassion and Excellence in Vetcare with a goal of becoming carbon neutral in two years.

Our Board

Dr Jeannet Kessels - Founder & Director

Dr Jeannet Kessels is a creative entrepreneur and deeply committed climate advocate based in Queensland, Australia. Her motto ‘Excellence with Heart’ is reflected across both life and work. She is driven by kindness and surrounds herself with brilliant minds.

Since 1970, when Jeannet was five years old, 70% of the world’s wildlife have been lost. Climate change is hurting the health and welfare of those that remain, and deeply impacting companion pets, livestock, One Health and the global food supply. Jeannet is single-minded in her passion to inspire global action, advocating for our animals while modelling practical steps towards net zero.

Jeannet’s Greater Springfield Veterinary Group (GSVETS) are active participants in VfCA’s practical Climate Care Program, with her Springfield Hospital now the second veterinary practice in Australia to be accredited proudly Carbon Neutral. GSVETS donates 1% of turnover to environmental work on behalf of the animals we love and need, specifically VfCA.

Professor Mark Howden - Director

Professor Mark Howden is the Director of the Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions at The Australian National University.

He is also an Honorary Professor at Melbourne University, a Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and is the Chair of the ACT Climate Change Council. Mark has worked on climate variability, climate change, innovation and adoption issues for over 30 years in partnership with many industry, community and policy groups via both research and science-policy roles. Issues he has addressed include agriculture and food security, the natural resource base, ecosystems and biodiversity, energy, water and urban systems.

He has been a major contributor to the IPCC since 1991, with roles in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and now Seventh Assessment Reports, sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with other IPCC participants and Al Gore.

Dr Helen Scott-Orr AM PSM - Director

Dr Helen Scott-Orr is former Australian Inspector-General of Biosecurity, Executive Director Research, Advisory and Education with NSW Agriculture and NSW Chief Veterinary Officer.

She served as Chief Veterinary Officer and Director, Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication, with NSW Agriculture and led veterinary capacity-building projects in Indonesia on zoonotic disease control, especially rabies, anthrax, brucellosis and leptospirosis. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and served on the boards of Animal Health Australia and the Cooperative Research Centres for Invasive Animals, Weeds, Beef, Sheep, Cotton and Rice. She has been the NSW Coordinator of the Crawford Fund since 2013. Helen received a Public Service Medal at the 2010 Australia Day Awards for Outstanding Public Service to Agricultural and Veterinary Science, and in 2021 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "significant service to public administration, to biosecurity, and to veterinary science.

Dr Liz Clarke - Director

Dr Liz Clarke is an experienced senior executive having led teams and organisations in Australia and internationally (including in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe). She has a lifetime of involvement in various aspects of agriculture, sustainability, and natural resource management; as a policy advisor, practice-driven researcher, facilitator, educator, and farmer. As the former CEO of Soils for Life, Liz has successfully implemented a targeted strategy to facilitate and support transformational, regenerative change for Australian farmers.

Liz currently holds visiting fellowships at ANU’s Fenner School of Environment and Society and the Institute for Land, Water and Society at Charles Sturt University. She also holds a PhD in Human Ecology from ANU.

Maclolm Lazenby - Chair

Malcolm Lazenby is the Co-Founder of Global Leadership Foundation and is passionate about making a positive difference to people's lives, their businesses and communities - both local and global.

Malcolm currently works with Senior Executives and Board Directors (at both an individual and group level) with a specific focus on supporting leaders in the way they work with and relate to others. He has specialist skills in working with Boards and Senior Executives, including Board Performance and Governance, developing emotionally healthy leaders, strategic planning and the leading/implementation of transformational change. He has also had significant experience in transformational culture programs in organisations and teams.

Malcolm has over 30 years experience in the private sector, in a range of senior leadership/management roles including operational and strategic positions. As a business consultant, Malcolm’s clients represent all areas of business, community, and not for profit and public sector. Malcolm has a strong understanding of the business drivers and levers, measures of success, financial performance and risk management required to be successful.

Strategic Advisors

Ben Tyler - Indigenous Advisor

A proud Bininj man, Ben co-authored Walking In Gagudju Country and owns and operates Kakadu Kitchen, a proudly 100% Indigenous company producing wholesale beverages infusing Kakadu native botanicals for Australia's hospitality, tourism, and Indigenous bush food sectors. Ben supports the Board as as our Indigenous Advisor.

Richard Page - CCP Business

Dr Richard Page is founder and clinical director of Emergency Vets 24/7 Australia. Based in Cairns he has a keen interest in the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree rainforest and the direct effect climate change will have on these.

Originally from the UK Richard Graduated from Cambridge University in Biological and Biomedical Science and Veterinary Medicine. He worked as vet in the UK, Bermuda, where he developed a love of tropical reefs and finally Australia, where he developed a passion for emergency medicine and founded a 24 hour veterinary hospital in Cairns. He is a practicing vet with a thorough belief in a team based approach to animal care and joined VFCA in 2023 as a board advisor.

Our Team

Steff Goldring - CEO

Over 20 years of experience in operational, logistics and business strategy. Having lived and worked across Europe and Australia, Steff has a background in team management as well as program delivery. As a former lawyer, Steff is both detail-oriented and big picture-oriented. She has led multiple complex logistics projects for clients, making the user experience simple and streamlined while masking the complexity being managed in the background. As a business administrator she has worked across the spectrum from admin support through to Director level C-suite roles such as being a COO. This gives Steff unique insights into both the visionary and practical elements of project management and delivery.

Steff is passionate about solving climate change and has experience in working for climate advocacy organisations such as Environmental Leadership Australia.

Dr Jeremy Watson - Chair, CCP Advisory Committee

Dr Jeremy Watson BVSc (Hons) MANZCVs (SA surgery)graduated from Melbourne Uni in 1986 and by 1998 had established the Brimbank Vet Clinic - now a 5 vet small animal practice in suburban Melbourne. In 2011 the Brimbank Vet Clinic was rebuilt incorporating the latest environmental design features facilitating a pathway to make the practice carbon neutral. It is now the first veterinary clinic in Australia to be become certified carbon neutral on the Australian Government Climate Active Register. Jeremy has completed short courses in Circular economics and Net zero for business through Cambridge University. Jeremy joined VfCA to help amplify the role veterinary teams can play in motivating the vet community to take urgent action on climate change and has played an integral part in developing the Climate Care Program, and is now Chair of the CCP Advisory Group.

Dr Elise Anderson - Regional Lead

Dr Elise Anderson graduated with honours from the University of Melbourne in 2003. Over the last 20 years she has practiced as a veterinarian in a wide range of clinical settings, including mixed and small animal practice, and animal welfare, both here in Australia and in the UK. Most of her life has been spent living and working in rural and regional communities, and she has experienced first hand the threat that climate change poses to the animals and people in these areas. Elise's work with Vets for Climate Action enables her to combine her professional life as a vet with her deep personal concern about climate change, and her firm belief and experience in the power of grassroots community advocacy as a vehicle for change. She lives with her family in a small town in north-east Victoria.

Clare Werbeloff - Programs Lead

Over 15 years experience in service and project management, Clare has a background in campaigning, events management and leadership roles. Clare has an embedded passion for the environment, animal welfare and climate change with professional experience in enhancing customer experience, and delivering quality long term vision solutions.

As a former community engagement lead, Clare is experienced in successfully driving business performance and improving business outcomes with a proven ability to establish rapport with clients, colleagues, volunteers and the wider community. As a business owner, Clare has worked with a variety of people with differentiating abilities, and this gives Clare distinctive insight into people management and the ability to collaborate with, and motivate a diverse range of people to successfully achieve positive outcomes.

Clare is passionate about making positive changes for the good of the environment through the minimisation of both personal and professional impacts on climate change, and has experience working for climate advocacy organisations such as Surfrider Foundation Australia, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Humane Society International and Action for Dolphins on key events and campaigns.