Mike Steel BVSc LLB MRCVS

Formerly: Director, Scotland, Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Mike Steel qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon from University of Bristol in 1981. He completed a Law degree (1st Class) in 2004. Mike is currently working as a FFC Senior Consultant. His recent work includes:

Food Fraud 

Elliott Review on Food Supply Chain Integrity:  Team Member with expertise on food fraud vulnerabilities, auditing and regulatory inspection.

Advising and assisting Food Businesses on the practical and pragmatic management of Food Fraud Risks and training of lead auditors in Food Fraud

Providing Food Fraud training and management support  to public sector regulators.

Advising on defence against legal proceedings

Animal Health and Welfare

Preparation of successful EU tenders for regulatory enforcement and harmonisation of state veterinary services in aspirant states 

Providing advice in legal cases on interpretation of animal health and welfare legislation

Guest lectures:  Queens University Belfast; AHVLA (Scotland)

A recognised expert in his field, Mike always adopts a practical and hands-on approach to projects. A first class communicator, he has the ability to simplify the most complex of issues, in order to achieve workable results that add genuine client value.

Curriculum vitae

Mike spent 12 years in mixed, mainly farm animal, General Practice in Devon, Gloucestershire and, mainly, Scotland. He was an accredited trainer with the Agricultural Training Board.

1993-2010:  Veterinary Service in the Northern Ireland Dept. of Agriculture (NIVS), initially as a TB tester & finally as Senior Principal Veterinary Officer. During this time:

• He was the architect and leader of animal health & welfare and meat hygiene enforcement 

• He devised and delivered enforcement training courses and lectured and advised on regulatory enforcement in the UK and other EU member states

• He lectured full-time in animal health for 2years at the Department’s, College of Agriculture. 

• He led the field implementation team (450 staff) in the Southern half of the province. A notable success during that period was his regaining of effective control of a Brucellosis epidemic.

• In Europe he chaired (for 4y) the Working Group of Enforcement Officers (Vet.medicines) 

• He led a team of Veterinary Policy advisers on Trade, Animal Identification & Movement, Veterinary Medicines and Zoonoses

2010 -11: Animal Health Director, Wales where he oversaw the structural rationalisation of the Agency in Wales whilst maintaining high quality delivery of, principally, the Welsh Government’s TB Strategy

2011-13 AHVLA, Director, Scotland where he led the restructuring of  the Agency in Scotland to enable it to meet both the requirements of the Scottish Government and a decreasing budget

Mike has wide knowledge and experience in animal health and welfare and food safety as a veterinarian in clinical practice and in government. 

• He is an able communicator, teacher and negotiator. 

• He has good personal relationships with Senior Civil Servants in in all the UK administrations  and also with farming industry leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

• He has wide experience and proven innovatory approach to effective regulatory compliance and maintains strong relationships with investigators throughout Europe.