Catherine (Cat) Sayer has been re-elected as Chair of NOAH (National Office of Animal Health) for 2016, following this year’s AGM in London on 25 May.
Brought up on a hill farm in Wensleydale, Yorkshire and with broad experience across the key animal medicine market sectors of companion animal, ruminants, equine and swine, Cat is currently Subsidiary Business Manager UK & Ireland, Hipra UK and Ireland. Keeping an active connection with farming, she still breeds pedigree Dalesbred sheep.
Speaking at the NOAH’s 30th Anniversary Dinner held in London on 25 May, Cat Sayer praised the vision of those who had set up and led NOAH during its thirty years, whose work and commitment had helped to mould it into the voice of the sector it is today. NOAH’s representation of the manufacturers of animal health products has always covered over 90% of the UK animal medicines marketplace, she continued, and embraces smaller UK manufacturers to large multinationals, across all species and medicines of all classifications.
Cat Sayer underlined the importance of regulation in the sector, ensuring that a full range of safe and effective medicines are available to treat animals, maintaining the high standards of welfare that the British public expects. “EU regulations on veterinary medicines and medicated feed are currently under review,” she explained, “NOAH continues to ensure input to this process from our sector’s perspective.”
Ms Sayer reiterated NOAH’s welcome to the O’Neill Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, published recently. “We fully endorse its proposal for incentives to develop innovative new treatments and better diagnostics – but these must include the animal health sector, so that animal medicines continue to be available to treat the diseases that prescribers, farmers and pet owners encounter. Improving the availability and usage of vaccines, which is also proposed, can reduce the need for antibiotics too.
“In the UK consumers both encourage and expect high standards of animal welfare in food production and pet owners also want prompt and effective care. Animals need antibiotics when necessary and vets need a range of options to choose from to ensure that they can treat certain illnesses appropriately and responsibly to help prevent pain and suffering,” she stated. “NOAH supports the need for improved data on antibiotic usage to be available and allow for increased analysis of which antibiotics are being used, where and in what species. We are working with the livestock species sector groups, who are already developing plans to meet this need and continue to play an active role as a member of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance, more widely known by its acronym RUMA,” she added.
At the Dinner, she announced that NOAH welcomes further members from beyond its core membership of animal medicines manufacturers.
She explained: “Through all of the changes that have taken place over the past 30 years in our sector, NOAH has remained true to its original mission, which is why it can continue to ‘support the future of animal health’. Building on the firm foundations established during this time, we want to continue to ensure that the diversity of our membership fully reflects our sector as it continues to evolve. From its achievements over the past 30 years we can see our sector would be the poorer without NOAH. With this in mind, and thinking about the services our association provides, we would encourage other companies across the broader animal health sector to consider the benefits NOAH membership could offer them.
“We look forward to continuing to grow and build upon the successes NOAH has had to date in the 30 years to come”, she said.
Notes for Editors
For further information contact Alison Glennon at NOAH on 020 8367 3131, or by email a.glennon@noah.co.uk or look at the NOAH website www.noah.co.uk. A copy of the full NOAH chair’s speech from the NOAH Dinner is available from the NOAH office.
The National Office of Animal Health represents the UK animal medicines industry. Its aim is to promote the benefits of safe, effective, quality medicines for the health and welfare of all animals.
The NOAH Officers for 2016-2017 are:
Chair Cat Sayer, Hipra UK and Ireland
Treasurer Mark Floyd, Dechra
Past Chair David Ellerton, Virbac
Vice chair Mary Boughton, Dorwest Herbs
Vice-chair Gaynor Hillier, Elanco
Vice-chair Ferenc Polz, Bayer
Catherine (Cat) Sayer is currently Subsidiary Business Manager UK & Ireland, Hipra UK and Ireland. After graduating from Durham University she started her career in animal health as a Territory Manager with Pfizer in the North East of England. Subsequently holding positions with Merial and the then Schering-Plough before moving to Forum Animal Health, she has a broad experience gained from working across the main market sectors of companion animal, livestock, ruminants, equine & swine. Whilst this has been mainly in commercial roles encompassing the UK & Europe in sales and marketing, she also has experience spanning production, R&D to technical & regulatory. Brought up on a hill farm in Yorkshire, she still breeds pedigree Dalesbred sheep.
Cat’s first involvement with NOAH was when she took the original AMTRA manufacturer’s qualification as a Territory Manager in 1999. More recently she has been a member of the Board since 2011, a Vice-Chair for two years and chaired the association for the past year.
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