Mark Schipp is the Chief Veterinary Officer of Australia and immediate Past President of the World Organisation for Animal Health. Dr Schipp graduated from Murdoch University in 1989 and immediately joined the West Australian Department of Agriculture as a District Veterinary Officer. After serving in a number of locations around that state he joined the Commonwealth as a veterinary officer in export abattoirs around Australia before moving to Canberra.

 Dr Schipp served as Agriculture Counsellor in Seoul, South Korea and Beijing, China for six years before returning to lead the Australian export meat and food safety programs. In 2011 Dr Schipp was appointed CVO of Australia and he will retire from that role in late 2023. As CVO Dr Schipp has had a focus on international standards, emergency preparedness, antimicrobial resistance and capacity building in the Asia Pacific region.

 Dr Schipp married a classmate Robyn and they have three adult children. Robyn also works as a government veterinarian. They live in Canberra with their large dog, determined cat, some backyard hens and budgies. One daughter and one son live in Canberra, their eldest daughter is living and working in Melbourne after completing her PhD.

 Mark became a veterinarian because he thought he was not much good with people, and then had a career of over 30 years working with and managing people, and not dealing with animals much at all. But it has been a most fortunate career allowing him to travel the world and represent Australia and the World Organisation for Animal Health. Through these roles he has become familiar with the work of the CVA and he hopes to be able to contribute to and communicate the work of the CVA to the Australian veterinary community.