Our Country Ambassadors work with international universities to inspire graduates to start a rewarding career as an Official Veterinarian. With vet shortages within the UK, global talent is crucial for ensuring food safety and protecting public health.

Sara Basto is an L&D Technical Lead at E&J, delivering technical inductions and designing courses and procedures to develop the knowledge of our field-based colleagues. She began her E&J journey six years ago, starting as a Meat Hygiene Inspector and progressing to become an Official Veterinarian, Export Official Veterinarian, Area Manager and Technical Manager, before stepping into her current role.

She is also our Country Ambassador for Portugal, sharing her passion for veterinary public health with future professionals to encourage them to consider a career with us.

We caught up with Sara to find out more about her Country Ambassador role…

What do you love about your ambassador country?

I’m incredibly proud of my culture and the resilience, strength, and passion that define Portuguese people. These qualities are powerful assets that I believe can contribute greatly to succeeding in the Official Veterinarian role.

What universities are you focusing on?

The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro in Vila Real (the University I completed my degree with), The Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Porto and The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Lisbon.

What do you like best about the role?

Travel is a nice perk! But I genuinely want veterinarians to experience working at E&J as I love being a part of this family and getting to do such vital work.

What activities do you have planned in as part of your Country Ambassador role?

I’m planning to visit all three universities over the next year to connect with as many people as possible. It’s essential to spread the word about this role, as working with E&J offers incredible benefits. For me, public health work is truly a calling—our work is crucial, even if it often goes unnoticed by the public.

What have you done so far as part of this role?

I’ve been reaching out to the universities to arrange dates to visit and actively spreading the word in university Facebook groups as well.

What impact do you hope to have through your role as a Country Ambassador?

I hope to inspire excitement about joining our company in a role that holds deep meaning for me.

To find out more about our careers, head to our Join the Team page.