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Posted: 2nd March 2026

RUMA Agriculture appoints new chair
“I’m honoured to take on this role and look forward to building on the strong foundations already in place." - James Russell.
James Russell succeeds Cat McLaughlin in the role.

RUMA Agriculture has announced the appointment of James Russell as its new chair.

James Russell succeeds Cat McLaughlin as chairperson, who has held the role for six years and worked for the organisation for over decade.

Dr Russell FRCVS is an experienced veterinary surgeon and consultant, with a postgraduate diploma in Production Animal and Livestock Medicine. He worked as a farm animal veterinary surgeon in the Midlands and Staffordshire for many years, before moving into consultancy.

His career has had a particular focus on infectious diseases and biosecurity, which has been shaped by his experience during the 2007 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak and subsequent bluetongue cases.

Dr Russell served as president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) from 2020-2021 and later as senior vice president.

Dr Russell said: “I’m honoured to take on this role and look forward to building on the strong foundations already in place. There is still much to do – both in maintaining our focus on AMR but also ensuring stewardship across other medicine classes.
 
“Cat leaves an exceptional legacy. Her skills, experience, wisdom and collaborative leadership have shaped RUMA Agriculture into the trusted, respected organisation it is today.”

RUMA Agriculture says that, under Cat McLaughlin’s leadership, attention has grown for the pressures around vaccine and medicine availability. The RUMA Targets Task Force, chaired by Dr McLaughlin, has also been praised as a ‘defining example of positive stewardship’.

In her final address to the organisation’s AGM, Cat said: “It has been an absolute honour and privilege to Chair RUMA Agriculture for all these years. I am full of praise for the hard work and achievements of the Alliance which unites farmers, vets, food businesses, and policymakers around a shared mission: protecting animal health while preserving the effectiveness of vital medicines. This is a truly unique infrastructure – completely voluntary and incredibly effective”

She added: “I congratulate James on his appointment. Under his leadership I know he will work hard to ensure the UK remains a global exemplar in responsible medicine stewardship, safeguarding the effectiveness of vital medicines while supporting a resilient, high welfare livestock industry.”

Image © RUMA Agriculture



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