NOAH's officer team for 2002

Sam Black, director of Leo Animal Health, has been elected as the new chairman of the National Office of Animal Health for 2002-2003. Mr Black chaired the association from 2000-2001. The election took place at the NOAH's AGM on 18 April.

Nick Kamm, managing director of Vétoquinol UK, remains as the association's vice-chairman.

NOAH's immediate past chairman, John McNally has moved to Australia: Bill Hird, chairman of NOAH between 1998-99 has taken the past-chairman's position on the new officer team.

NOAH's new treasurer is Neil Macdonald, director of Animalcare Ltd.

Ends

Biographical details

Sam Black trained in chemistry and started his career at Smith & Nephew in 1963 as a medical representative. From there he went on to join Leo Laboratories. Within five years he was the area manager, working his way up to field sales manager in 1977, sales manager for Edwin Burgess (Leo) in 1982 and then moving to head of production for Leo Laboratories at Middlesborough in 1987. In 1992 Mr Black took on his current role as director of Leo Animal Health. He chaired NOAH from 2000-01 and has been a regular member of NOAH's Board, and a long term member of its Public Affairs Committee.

Nick Kamm has been in the animal health industry for over 30 years and with Vétoquinol UK for the past eleven. Nick, who started his working career as a chemist, was initially with Rohm Haas and worked with them in the UK and in Europe. He spent a brief time with Hoechst Animal Health until he was involved in starting up Univet, a veterinary owned company, in 1981. Vétoquinol acquired Univet in 1990 and in 1997 Nick added the management of Vétoquinol Ireland to the UK. In 2001 he also became Director for Western Europe as well as keeping his UK Managing Director's duties.

Bill Hird has been managing director of Elanco Animal Health in the UK and Ireland since 1994. Then, in 1999, the remit was extended to include the Scandinavian countries, Benelux and latterly, Germany. He is also responsible for Elanco's poultry business and public affairs throughout Europe and is a member of the Management Committee of Eli Lilly and Company in the UK. He has been involved with NOAH since 1995, chaired its Public Affairs Committee for two years and has been a regular member of the Board as well as being chairman from 1998-99.

Working for Eli Lilly and Company since leaving Business School in 1977, most of his career has been spent with the company's animal health division, Elanco Animal Health. In 1985 he moved from the UK to become marketing manager for the then Soviet Union and Eastern Europe; he was in European management from 1989-90 concerned with manufacturing and logistics redesign and then in 1991 became general manager of an area covering the Scandinavian countries, Benelux and Portugal.

Neil Macdonald qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1982. He was assistant, and then partner, of a practice in Campbeltown. He joined Veterinary Drug Company in 1994 and then joined Animalcare from there in 1996. He is currently Director of Animalcare.

18 April 2002

Notes for Editors

1. For further information contact Phil Sketchley or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH website.

2. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association has 37 corporate members and 12 associate members. In 2001 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £359 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.