International Cat Care (iCatCare) is delighted to announce that Nicola Martin will be joining the charity to take over from Claire Bessant, who will be retiring in August after 28 years as CEO.
Veterinary surgeon Nicola Martin brings a wealth of experience to the organisation as she is currently chief executive of canine partners. She is also chair of trustees of Assistance Dogs UK and was previously a trustee of the Animal Welfare Foundation.
While Head of Pet Health and Welfare at the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), Nicola Martin helped to develop and deliver pet welfare strategic plans and veterinary services, and designed and grew the ground-breaking annual PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report in conjunction with YouGov.
Nicola said: “I am thrilled to be appointed as CEO of International Cat Care and look forward to working with the trustees, the passionate team and diverse and expert stakeholders to continue to improve the lives of cats worldwide. The charity has been close to my heart throughout my veterinary career and the opportunity to lead the next phase of its development is extremely exciting.
“Over the last 28 years, Claire and the team have worked tirelessly with all those who share International Cat Care’s vision and have made significant strides forward in so many areas of feline welfare.
“So much has been achieved for cats, but there is still so much to be done and I look forward to taking on the baton and finding new and innovative ways to work with others to make a real difference to the mental and physical wellbeing of cats worldwide.
Lynne Hill, chair of trustees for iCatCare, commented: “Recruiting a new CEO after Claire’s stewardship of the charity was always going to be a challenge, but the trustees feel that Nicola Martin, with her passion for cats and experience in the charity, education and welfare sectors, is the right person to build on Claire’s legacy.
“We look forward to working with Nicola to deliver the vision of iCatCare and improve cats’ lives all around the world through education, welfare initiatives, and through working with our sponsors, vets, nurses and the public.’
