June 2023 MentorVet Mentor of the Month: Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS

This month we are proud to announce our June Mentor of the Month is Dr. Jules Benson, an individual who has been pivotal in supporting the growth of MentorVet.

Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS has been a MentorVet Advisory Board Member since January 2022 and was chosen as Mentor of the Month because of his dedication to supporting our team.

Our Founder & CEO, Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS shared, “Dr. Benson has been an incredible mentor. He has given me great pointers for how to navigate the veterinary industry and challenged me to create more intentionality around strategy and direction for MentorVet. Because of his influence, we have been able to grow with focus. Most importantly, having a sounding board as I navigate the challenges of being a young leader in veterinary medicine has been instrumental in allowing me to feel supported so that I can continue helping the wonderful people in our profession.”

Read more below all about Jules’s experience mentoring!

Dr. Benson, tell us a little bit about your career journey. What do you currently do in veterinary medicine and how did you end up here?

I’m the Vice President of Pet Health and the Chief Veterinary Officer at Nationwide, the largest pet insurer in the U.S.. My role includes a lot of cool work around how we can use data to improve pet health, research around spectrum of care in veterinary medicine, and how our industry can provide more care to more pets. I also sit on the executive board of the Veterinary Innovation Council, and the Advisory Board of MentorVet.

I currently live in Fort Collins, CO but I’m originally from Lancashire in the UK. Following high school, I was lucky enough to spend a year on a wildlife project in Egypt, where I got really interested in the symphysis of science, communication, and “art” that goes into veterinary medicine.

While at vet school in Liverpool, I knew I wanted to broaden my understanding of the roles veterinarians can play outside of practice, and gained an additional degree in veterinary conservation medicine. After graduation, I worked in general practice outside Philadelphia for around seven years before moving into industry where I’ve focused on leadership roles that encompass data, technology, strategy, marketing and innovation.

Why did you choose to be involved serve on the MentorVet Advisory Board?

I met Dr. Reinhard at the Veterinary Innovation Summit in 2021 where she was pitching MentorVet. We had a great conversation about how the program came to be, the work it was doing, and the science behind it. It’s not often you get the opportunity to make even a modest contribution to something that can be so important to the profession and impactful to individuals.

Will you share an example of something you and Dr. Reinhard have discussed as MentorVet develops?

Growing a platform brings a lot of challenges – identifying and prioritizing the right ways to spend energy and resources is critical. It’s been great to be a sounding board, using my experience to help provide support and guidance.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of mentoring?

Paying it forward from those who spent their time and energy mentoring me, and leveraging hard-won lessons I’ve learned to try and help mentees find shortcuts where they can!

What is one thing that you have learned through your time mentoring Dr. Reinhard and MentorVet?

Mentoring is a two-way street. It’s not a hierarchical passing-on-of-knowledge, it’s a learning dynamic that benefits both. Mentoring works best when both parties approach it with the desire to listen, learn and understand.

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received from a mentor or the best piece of advice that you have ever given?

(Almost) nothing is as important as you think it is.

Would you recommend volunteering as a mentor or being involved with MentorVet?

Unreservedly. Almost everyone I know in #vetmed is looking to give back in some way, and there are a million ways to do that. Everyone’s time is precious, so knowing that MentorVet’s process is rigorously science-backed and is constantly looking to lean into ways to improve, it’s an easy way to know that the time you spend is making an impact.

What is one thing you are currently learning?

I’m trying to dig into how my approach lands with people I work with so that I can be a better collaborate and leader.

What is your favorite self-care activity?

Cycling – depending on what you’re looking for, it can tick a lot of boxes: it can be a good way to hang out with friends, it can be something you do to just turn off your brain and get out in nature, and it can be a way to really empty the tank and test your physical and mental limits.

Final thoughts?

Working with MentorVet has been an awesome way to learn, to give back, and to make amazing new friends.

Thank you, Dr. Benson!

We love having you a part of our community!

Check out our board HERE to read more how these amazing internal mentors help us grow at MentorVet!