Dr Roeland Wessels

Roeland (Jan) Wessels, DVM (1966) studied veterinary medicine at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. Besides his general degree as doctor in veterinary medicine, he gained an extra master degree in tropical veterinary medicine. Roeland produced educational veterinary films, had his own radio show on animals and animal health and worked for five years as a all-round vet in different practices in the Netherlands. In 2000 he switched to the business community and worked for seven years as a senior consultant at the innovative communication agencies Schuttelaar & Partners in The Hague and Imagro in Ottersum. He worked mainly on subjects and themes related to human and animal health.

Early 2008 Roeland started, his own consultancy St. Anna Advice, named after the street of office in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Nowadays the consultancy employs six consultants, all well-known and respected professionals in the veterinary field. St. Anna Advice supports veterinary practices and customers in communication training, strategy development, reputation management and in the development of CSR policies.

St. Anna Advice combines strategic communication with a professional and practical approach. Realistic, creative and result-oriented. Since 2010 Roeland is also a lecturer on the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Utrecht University, the Netherlands and teaches ‘communication’ and ‘practice-management’.

Roeland is married to Astrid Elsinghorst, who is also his partner in the successful companion animal clinic ‘St Anna 404’ in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. On a part time basis, Roeland is the general manager of the nine-staff clinic team. Astrid and Roeland have two children Willemijn (2001) and Pepijn (2003), and a ’hairy housemate’, dog Bente (2013).

In May 2013 Roeland published - together with prof. dr. Theo Lam PhD and dr. ir. Jolanda Jansen PhD - the world’s first Veterinary Communication Handbook titled “Communication In Practice, the vet’s manual on clienthusiasm.” The handbook was translated in English (edited by Alison Lambert) and Spanish (edited by Richard Nap) and is already described as “monumental” and “a must for every modern veterinarian”.

More info www.anna-advies.nl or www.communivactioninpractice.com