Rick is the Technical Director for HealthforAnimals, the global industry association, and for AnimalhealthEurope, the European industry association, representing manufacturers of veterinary medicinal products.

Rick has worked for the European industry association since 1997, where his main task is to bring improvements to the European regulatory environment governing veterinary medicinal products (VMPs), through regular dialogue with decision makers within the European institutions and the European medicines regulatory network.  More recently his focus has included bringing more regulatory convergence at a global level in the interests of improving access to veterinary medicines in developing regions.  He is a member of the VICH steering committee (International Cooperation on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of VMPs). In his global role he promotes the  HealthforAnimals objectives for efficient regulatory systems through regulatory regulatory convergence and regulatory best practice.

Prior to joining the industry associations he has worked as a Product Development and Registration Manager for ectoparasiticides. He began his career in the area of clinical diagnostics and antibiotic detection methods and is author of a patent in clinical diagnostics.

In 1982 he graduated from Brunel University, London, with a degree in Applied Biology, and in 1994 he obtained a diploma in Marketing from Cambridge College. He was first author of the chapter on ‘Veterinary Medicinal Products’ in ‘Fundamentals of EU Regulatory Affairs’, published by the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) (2002, 2004).  He is an Honorary Life Member of TOPRA (The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs).