Career of Emmanuelle Soubeyran

Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran
Chief Veterinary Officer
French delegate to WOAH
Vice-Chair, EuFMD Executive committee

A specialist in the fields of animal health, veterinary public health, crisis management and the “One Health” policy

Having trained in veterinary medicine (1990), and specialising in veterinary public health and epidemiology, Emmanuelle Soubeyran has many years’ experience of the goals and issues that relate to animal health at both international and national levels, having had occasion to be in the “front line” during a number of large-scale sanitary crises such as bluetongue and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. She led the construction of emergency plans and prevention programmes against influenzas, African Swine Fever and zoonoses. In 2010 she initiated the creation of a national, multi-partner platform with actors from livestock farming, industry and wild fauna to drive an effective real-time epidemiological surveillance system backed by international vigilance in order to better anticipate and thereby manage emerging diseases. She has helped promote “One Health” programmes, most notably on antimicrobial resistance and zoonoses in partnership with professionals in human medicine and the environmental sector.

A definite feel for working through networks and as part of a team, with a marked capacity for arriving at a consensus in international negotiations and driving collaborative actions

A few years in Japan in the 1990s were enough to point Emmanuelle Soubeyran’s career path in the direction of international affairs. Her various posts in the fields not only of animal health and food, but also plant health, have led her to build firm relationships with her counterparts in other countries in order, collectively and in a spirit of sharing, to ensure that sanitary hazards are better controlled. This is the meaning she now wishes to give her participation as delegate to the various networks in which she is personally involved (WOAH - world and regional assemblies, REMESA, GFTADs, Caribvet, EUFMD, among others). In the different official bodies in which she is a participant she is intent on ensuring that a consensus can emerge and on persuading her interlocutors of the necessity of certain changes. For example, during the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, she brought about a consensus between Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs), and subsequently on the Council of Ministers, on the issue of vaccination as an additional resource for the prevention of avian influenza. In all these different posts, Dr Soubeyran has sought to encourage the commitment of her teams to cooperation programmes, most notably through the activities of France Vétérinaire International. As an advisor to the Minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2009, she was able to listen to the views of all the public- and private-sector partners involved in the management of animal health issues with a view to reconciling constraints and arriving at concerted action.

In-depth knowledge of higher education, veterinary and agronomic research and provision of training of official veterinarians

Between 2016 and 2021 Emmanuelle Soubeyran headed VetAgro Sup, a higher education and research establishment comprising three entities: the national veterinary School in Lyon, the school of agronomics in Clermont-Ferrand and ENSV, the national school of veterinary services, a WOAH Collaborating Centre on the provision of training for official veterinarians. In that context, she built substantial collaborative programmes with veterinary faculties in numerous countries around the world, including twinning arrangements funded by WOAH. During this period she was an instigator of research projects, an international master’s degree in “One Health” in partnership with the University of Lyon and the creation of the “One Health” institute combining academic skills with those of the professional sector. In addition, she contributed to the creation of online training resources for WOAH delegates, with the ENSV acting as host for the WOAH training platform.

An acknowledged aptitude for managerial responsibilities

Emmanuelle Soubeyran has exercised managerial responsibilities since 2001 and general management since 2016. She is appreciative of the rewarding nature of work with motivated teams. Her past career has allowed her to develop knowledge and skills in numerous domains such as management, change leadership, budget management, heritage management, personal leadership and communication. She leads a variety of teams, some large in size (500 staff), and substantial budgets (€275m).
The foundation of the solidity of her actions is the endeavour to establish collegiality and dialogue, in addition to respect for working teams.
In all her posts she has sought to follow the principles of scientific excellence, independence and transparency.

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