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

Lily Newton

Principal 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 our brochure

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

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...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

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...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

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...

Emma Conlin

Animal Health

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Christoph Snaga

Investment Manager, Germany

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

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

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...

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Kay Witte

Global Director Performance Excellence

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

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

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...

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

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

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

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

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

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...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

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....

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Ashley Maclean

Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina

Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...

Jack Purnell

Material Handling & Automation

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,...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kyle Corrigan

Technical Account Manager

It was a pleasure working with Joseph when searching for the next chapter in my career. Proactive, energetic and prof...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO