At Vet Expo Melbourne, our CEO Jodi MacKinnon shared her remarkable 30-year journey from veterinary nurse to leading Australia’s largest employee-owned emergency veterinary network on the Women in the Veterinary Industry panel.
The Path That Started It All
Jodi began as a veterinary nurse three decades ago, but her curiosity extended beyond patient care. She wanted to understand what made veterinary businesses truly successful – not just clinically, but as places where people could build meaningful careers.
After 15 years in practice management, Jodi made the leap to emergency medicine 18 years ago. While many warned her it would be completely different from general practice, she discovered the same fundamental truth: great patient care comes from empowered, supported teams.
Building a People-Powered Business
What has defined Jodi’s leadership journey is her commitment to bringing people into the business. She saw first-hand how often veterinarians carry the heavy load of both medicine and management. Her mission became finding ways to share that responsibility and empower others to lead.
At Animal Emergency Australia (AEA), this vision has come to life:
- Employee Ownership: From a single practice with five employees, AEA has grown into 15 entities and more than 800 team members — all 100% employee-owned.
- Leadership Teams: By building leadership teams across departments, AEA empowers individuals to take ownership of their space, growing into the autonomy and mastery needed to succeed.
- Collaboration and Growth: The diversity of skills within the team fuels collaboration, innovation, and ultimately, better patient outcomes.
The Heart of It All: People
As Jodi said on the panel, “It’s a very difficult job for veterinarians to do everything. Empowering others to step into leadership roles means our business (and our people) can thrive.”
At AEA, we believe veterinary care isn’t just about medicine. It’s about people working together, uplifting one another, and creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to lead.
