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For more information on our Animal Health services, get in touch with

...

Lily Newton

Senior Consultant

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

Animal Health Executive Search

Helping Animal Health companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Animal Antibiotics Animal Biotech Animal Biotech Animal Capital Equipment Animal Diagnostics Animal Gut Health Animal Health distributors Animal Joint Health Animal Pharmaceuticals Animal Probiotics Animal Welfare Aquaculture Avion Biosecurity Cattle Companion Companion Animals Diagnostics Digestive Health Emergency Care Equine Exotics Fit Smart Technology Genetics Immune Health Infectious Disease Livestock Livestock AI Longevity Medical Devices Microbiome Non-Profit Parasites Poultry Preventative Care Production Animals Reproduction Ruminants Surgery Swine Technical Services Vaccinations Veterinary Veterinary AI

Driven by advances in veterinary medicine and rising demand for animal care, the global animal health market exceeds $60 billion in value and continues to grow on a Global basis.

The animal health sector plays a critical role in safeguarding food security, public health, and animal welfare across the globe. Advances in veterinary medicine, pharmaceuticals, biologics, diagnostics, and digital health are accelerating innovation across both livestock and companion animal markets, while regulatory scrutiny and sustainability expectations continue to increase.

As expectations around welfare and biosecurity increase, animal health is critical to safeguarding livestock, pets, and public health, with innovation across pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, biologics, and digital health driving industry-wide change.

Advances in preventative medicine, precision diagnostics, data-led disease monitoring, and next-generation therapeutics are transforming the animal health landscape, improving outcomes across companion animal, livestock, and aquaculture markets. These developments are driving a more proactive, efficient, and sustainable approach to animal health management worldwide.

This is where our expertise delivers value. Through continuous engagement with industry leaders and decision-makers, we maintain a clear understanding of evolving market dynamics and talent demands. This insight allows us to anticipate where organizations and leadership requirements align, and to leverage our established network to support animal health companies in building high-performing teams that enable long-term growth.
Case Study

Being the 4th recruiter to be engaged on a VP level search that had been open for several months.

Through working closely with the VP of HR, I was successful in filling a VP level role at a leading animal health pharmaceutical manufacturer. After struggling to find candidates that aligned with their needs previously, I provided 3 candidates they where comfortable offering, from a shortlist of 7.

Case Study

Being the 4th recruiter to be engaged on a VP level search that had been open for several months.

As well as working closely with these larger companies in the field, I have also had great success working closely with start-ups and building out their first hires within a region / function.

Download the Animal Health Brochure

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Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

  • 97% Placement Rate 1
  • 1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
  • Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Stats

387 active opportunities
1,908 placements made across 25 sectors
262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Guillermo Leal

Global Director of Pricing, US

I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Lucas Quadflieg

Sales Manager, Netherlands

Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rania Metwall

Head of Sales, France

Would highly recommend working with Luca Dowdell. He helped me find the perfect job. Very professional, friendly and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Sara Benoit

Regional Account Manager, US

Irving Knight Group is a fantastic company. I was contacted by Aidan Kerr regarding a sales position opportunity in t...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nathan Radue

Channel Marketing Manager, US

Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Michael Wilson

Senior Account Manager

Working with Joseph was a seamless and positive experience from our first contact along with the various steps of the...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andrew Coutts

Director Global Strategy, US

First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

I found Joseph to be extremely professional in every way when going through a recent recruitment process, always doin...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Brian Carpenter

VP Continous Improvement, US

Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Guillermo Leal

Global Director of Pricing, US

I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Lucas Quadflieg

Sales Manager, Netherlands

Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rania Metwall

Head of Sales, France

Would highly recommend working with Luca Dowdell. He helped me find the perfect job. Very professional, friendly and ...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Sara Benoit

Regional Account Manager, US

Irving Knight Group is a fantastic company. I was contacted by Aidan Kerr regarding a sales position opportunity in t...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Nathan Radue

Channel Marketing Manager, US

Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Michael Wilson

Senior Account Manager

Working with Joseph was a seamless and positive experience from our first contact along with the various steps of the...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Andrew Coutts

Director Global Strategy, US

First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Franz-Leo Nedo

Territory Sales Manager

Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

I found Joseph to be extremely professional in every way when going through a recent recruitment process, always doin...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Brian Carpenter

VP Continous Improvement, US

Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

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Approach

Explore Our Approach

Why Us

Why Irving Knight

FAQs

We’re here to make Executive Search easy to understand. Find answers to the most common questions below.

Our priority is fit, not speed. We take time to understand your background, goals, and motivations, then provide clear insight into each opportunity so you’re only considered for roles that truly align with your experience and ambitions.

We specialise in senior, specialist, and leadership appointments across the markets we serve. Our focus is on roles where experience, judgement, and cultural alignment are critical — typically mid- to senior-level management through to executive and board appointments.

You’ll gain honest market insight, access to high-quality opportunities, and clear guidance throughout the process. Our aim is simple: to help you make the right move, at the right time, with confidence.

No. Our services are completely free for candidates. We are retained by our client partners to manage their hiring processes, meaning there is never a cost to you at any stage.

Our role is to represent your interests professionally, provide guidance throughout the process, and help you assess opportunities objectively — without any financial obligation.

No — if anything, it gives you an advantage. We provide context, insight, and advocacy that ensure your experience and motivations are clearly understood from the outset. Our role is to strengthen your candidacy and guide you through a transparent, well-managed process.

We operate as a retained, partnership-led search firm rather than a transactional recruiter. That means fewer searches, deeper engagement, and a far higher level of commitment to outcomes. By combining sector specialism, market intelligence, and a disciplined search methodology, we deliver hires that are aligned not only to role requirements, but to culture, strategy, and long-term growth plans.

We don’t rely on databases or job advertising alone. Our searches are driven by proactive market mapping, targeted outreach, and insight gained from long-standing sector networks. Candidates are assessed on capability, leadership style, cultural alignment, and long-term potential — not just CV fit — ensuring a robust and well-informed shortlist.

Confidentiality is fundamental to how we operate. Every search is handled with discretion, clear communication, and controlled market engagement. As your representative in the market, we protect your brand, manage messaging carefully, and ensure sensitive information is only shared when appropriate — safeguarding both your business and your candidates throughout the process.

Our retained model is designed to deliver outcomes, not volume. Because we invest the time to fully understand the role, the business, and the wider context, we achieve a consistently high completion rate across our searches. More importantly, our focus is on long-term retention and impact, not short-term placement metrics.

While our process is designed to minimise risk, we recognise that circumstances can change. In the rare event a placement doesn’t succeed, we work closely with our client to address the situation and agree the most appropriate next steps. Our commitment is to the partnership and the outcome — not just the initial hire

Let's talk

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