Brakke Consulting Viewpoint
Last weekend I was invited to speak at the Little Fish Conference in Los Cabos, Mexico. The focus of the conference was business and economics, with a high-protein roster of speakers from both within and outside of the veterinary industry. Featured were several prominent economists and bankers who provided perspective on the global and US economy, as well as trends within the veterinary industry and the broader consumer market. My takeaway from the speakers was that the current chaos and uncertainty in the market made economic predictions difficult, but the attendees seemed positive about their outlook for the year.
Now in its 8th year, the Little Fish Conference was conceived by industry veteran Darin Nelson as a meeting and educational venue for executives of smaller corporate veterinary practice companies, hence “little fish.” Zoetis has been the principal sponsor from the beginning. Now, the conference attracts leaders of practice-owning companies both large and small, and many were well represented at last weekend’s meeting. Kudos to Darin Nelson and Zoetis for hosting an outstanding event.
John Volk
John Volk is senior consultant with Brakke Consulting, the largest consulting firm serving the global animal health, veterinary and pet care markets. He is highly knowledgeable about companion animal, equine and food animal practice. John is principal author of five landmark studies of the veterinary profession: Brakke Study of Financial and Economic Behaviors of Veterinarians (1998), AVMA-Pfizer Business Practices Study (2005), Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study (2011-13), VPI-Veterinary Economics Financial Health Study (2014), and Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Studies (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024). He has authored several articles for veterinary journals, and is highly sought after as a speaker at veterinary conferences, especially on topics such as practice consolidation, practice management, preventive care plans and pet insurance. A widely respected executive, John has been recognized numerous times for his professional achievements.