BSAVA elects Susan Little as president

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has appointed Susan Little as its president for the 2026/27 term following the organisation’s annual general meeting on 26 June 2026.

Little succeeds Julian Hoad, who will become senior vice president as part of a wider leadership reshuffle. Niall Connell has been appointed vice president, while Matt Erskine joins the executive board as junior vice president.

A graduate of the University of Glasgow, Little qualified in 1992 and spent much of her career in small animal general practice. In 2000, she established her own veterinary practice, which grew into a three-site business before being acquired by a larger corporate group. She later held senior corporate positions, including managing director and business development director, overseeing practices across Scotland and the Scottish Borders.

Little has also been involved with BSAVA for nearly two decades. She began volunteering with the association in 2007, serving as regions coordinator before spending three years as chair of the PetSavers management committee. She returned to the organisation’s leadership in 2024 as a trustee and junior vice president.

The appointment comes as BSAVA continues to develop its leadership team. The association represents more than 10,000 veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses across the UK.

Little, the new BSAVA president, said: “I am very much looking forward to working closely with our executive leadership team, board, volunteers, staff and most importantly, our members, to keep rolling out the support, opportunities and products that our members value.

“It has been both interesting and a privilege to have served my first two years as a trustee, where as a team we see lots of opportunity for representation, innovation, collaboration, growth and strengthening of our BSAVA community.”

Hoad, the outgoing president, added: “It has been an honour to serve as BSAVA president over the past two years. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together as an association, from strengthening support for our members to advancing our strategic ambitions. I would like to thank our volunteers, staff and members for their dedication and commitment and I look forward to continuing to support Susan and the presidential team as senior vice president.”