Meet Gemma Gabriel, our first VMAzing winner of the season
We’re delighted to celebrate Gemma Gabriel, Commercial and Companion Marketing Manager at XLVets, as the first VMAzing winner of the season and the first nominee for the overall VMAzing Award.
Gemma was nominated by her colleagues for her work on the CalfXpert Initiative, a collaborative programme developed with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and the XLVets community. We caught up with her to learn more about the project, the people behind it and what inspires her work in veterinary marketing.
Please tell us a little about your role and the work you do within veterinary marketing.
I’m the Commercial and Companion Marketing Manager at XLVets, where I work closely with both our members and industry partners to develop projects, initiatives and campaigns.
A big part of my role is building strong partnerships and taking a collaborative approach to everything we do. Whether we’re launching a new initiative, running an event, developing a campaign or creating resources for our members, the aim is always to bring together the right people, share expertise and create something that benefits everyone involved. Never forgetting that we are a member led organisation, and that is at the heart of every project. No two days are the same, which is one of the things I love most about the role.
What does being recognised as a VMAzing Award winner mean to you?
I feel very lucky to have been nominated by my colleagues. Veterinary marketing is full of talented, creative and passionate people. While it’s lovely on a personal level, it also feels like recognition for everyone, particularly the project team who have been working on the calfXpert initiative. Which includes our operations team, the community, our member led procurement and leadership teams and the team at Boehringer Ingleheim Animal Health.
I’ve been lucky enough to be part of some brilliant projects through XLVets, and this award is a lovely reminder of what can be achieved when great people come together around a shared goal.
Can you tell us about the work, project or achievement that led to your nomination?
The project was the CalfXpert Initiative, a collaborative programme developed alongside Boehringer and the XLVets community to support future leaders in practice, in strengthening their knowledge, confidence and skills around calf health. As well as celebrating the potential practice leaders of the future
What made the project particularly exciting was the partnership approach behind it. As a community of independently owned veterinary practices, we are very much developed around what will support our members. Our procurement teams, leadership teams and board are all member led, which makes it a lot easier to provide the right project, at the right time, in the right way. From the outset, the joint project team meant we were highly focused on delivering genuine value for practices and farmers.
My role involved helping shape the project, developing the communications and engagement strategy, and ensuring we kept people involved and excited throughout the journey. Seeing the initiative grow from an idea into something that practices actively wanted to be part of was incredibly rewarding.
What part of the project are you most proud of, and why?
Without doubt, the collaboration. The CalfXpert Initiative was a great example of the power of the XLVets community. We have members from all over the community who are leading on calf health projects for the benefit of the clients and animals under their care. Actively supported by the people who own the practice,
From a marketing perspective, I’m proud that we didn’t just create a campaign. We helped create something that people genuinely engaged with and felt ownership of. The enthusiasm, feedback and willingness of people to share ideas and support one another throughout the project was fantastic to see.
What do you enjoy most about working within the veterinary industry?
The people, I’ve worked with some incredibly dedicated, knowledgeable and generous people throughout my career. Whether it’s vets, nurses, reception teams, practice managers or industry partners, there’s a real willingness to share ideas and help each other succeed.
It’s a privilege to work with people who are passionate about making a difference to their teams, animal health, client care and the future of the profession.
Who or what inspires your creativity?
I’m inspired by conversations with members every day. The best ideas come from chatting to practice teams, listening to the challenges they’re facing and finding new ways to support them. The marketers from across the community are doing such interesting and innovative things every day. We are mostly here to help spread the message, celebrate their great achievements, and make connections.
Congratulations, Gemma, on becoming our first VMAzing winner of the season. We look forward to following what comes next for you and the CalfXpert Initiative.
If you’d like to follow Gemma’s career journey and updates, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.
Nominate the next VMAzing winner
Are you VMAzing? The Veterinary Marketing Association are looking to crown VMAzing marketing talent as champions within our industry. Do you have what it takes?
VMAzing winners can come from any career stage, whether you’re an emerging star or a seasoned professional, in practice or from pharma companies or agencies who deliver outstanding work. We recognise many different types of marketing superheroes, from social media stars to copywriting crusaders, and we celebrate all amazing marketers with VMAzing skills. All that matters is delivering exceptional work that deserves recognition.
We crown a new winner every two months, with a £50 voucher prize and promotion across the VMA’s network and social media community. Each champion is then considered for our prestigious champion of champions, announced live on stage at the VMA awards, with a £1000 bursary fund award, sponsored by Noble Futures and a lifetime of prestige.
If you are VMAzing – or if you know someone who is – we want to hear from you.
Nominate someone here: https://vma.org.uk/vmazing/