Glad's Story
‘Branch Partnership is the perfect balance between management and clinical work’.
Glad moved to the UK in 2016 and became Branch Partner of Medivet Speke in 2021. Just recently, Glad had the opportunity to take on a new challenge and has moved clinics to become Branch Partner of Medivet Alder, a busy 24-hour hospital in Liverpool.
Glad, can you tell me about your journey to become a Branch Partner?
When I first came to the UK in 2016, I was employed as an intern at a clinic in Manchester that was later acquired by Medivet. When my internship finished, I wanted to move to a new clinic and was offered a role with Medivet in Liverpool. So, my partner Cristina and I moved to Liverpool and never left! I worked at Medivet Mossley Hill, Heswall and then Prescot before becoming the Lead Vet at Medivet Speke. At this point I was unsure of what I wanted from my career and was in a bit of a limbo. I was not sure if I wanted to stay in the industry or work in management but after seeing the opportunity to invest in Speke I decided to become Branch Partner.
After building Speke from a struggling clinic to a busy 2 vet clinic, I had the opportunity to move the equity that I had built and reinvest in Medivet Alder, a busy 24-hour hospital. This was a big opportunity with new challenges that are keeping me busy and my mind working. Speke was a small team of 2 vets and 5 support staff, my team now has around 44 people!
Why did you want to become a Branch Partner?
I saw the opportunity to invest. Medivet Speke was a good business opportunity. It was just after COVID and so the clinic was not doing very well and as a result the value of the clinic was low, so it was a good time for me to become a Branch partner.
Becoming a Branch Partner has given me better perspective on my career, it is the perfect balance, I can do management, I can do clinical work and organise my workflow. It’s the best thing.
Did you have any concerns about becoming a Branch Partner?
Yes, my biggest concern was financial. I am not money driven but I knew that I was paying for the business and was not sure of the business would make enough money to repay my loans, but I was proven wrong. It was the best decision ever.
Did you have any business experience before being a Branch Partner?
Not really, but I had a vision and being a Branch Partner has enabled me to put that vision into place.
When have you felt most proud to be a Branch Partner?
When I moved to Alder, it was the moment I understood that I had done things right at Speke. Seeing the business grow was like watching a child grow. Every month we had more clients.
And finally, what would be your advice to anybody wanting to become a Branch Partner?
Don’t be scared, just do it!! It was scary to begin with, but I was stressed about nothing.
