Every year on the last Saturday of April, World Veterinary Day recognises the vital contributions veterinarians make to animal health and welfare, public health, food safety, and the environment. This year’s theme, “Veterinarians: Guardians of Food and Health,” puts a spotlight on the profession’s role in food security and the One Health approach – the idea that the health of people, animals, and our environment are deeply connected. At Inghams, our veterinary team lives this every day. Georgina Inwood joined Inghams just over twelve months ago as our Queensland and Northern NSW Veterinarian, bringing with her a career that’s taken her from clinical and specialist hospitals to sheep and dairy farming in New Zealand, and now into the poultry space. We sat down with Georgina to hear about what drew her to Inghams, what she loves about the role, and why she thinks the poultry industry is full of opportunity for anyone willing to dive in.
Click here to check out the career opportunities at Inghams: https://inghams.com.au/working-with-us/
Background and Career Journey
When did you join Inghams, and what is your role?
I joined Inghams in 2025 (just over 12 months ago), and I’m the Queensland and Northern NSW Veterinarian. What drew me to the role was the culture and team dynamics I observed as an external supplier to Inghams. It was evident there was a very collaborative and cohesive approach between the teams, with everyone working together to achieve the best outcomes.
Was your career path at Inghams something you planned, or did it evolve organically?
It’s evolved organically from beginning as a veterinarian in the clinical and specialist hospital space, to sheep and dairy in New Zealand, then to production animals in Australia. It was here where the poultry space, and Inghams in particular, stood out as a place I wanted to grow and develop as a poultry veterinarian. Since joining Inghams, I can firmly say it’s definitely the place for me.
What is your current role, and what does a typical day look like?
As the QLD and northern NSW vet, some of my day-to-day responsibilities include routine visits to our rearing and production farms and hatcheries. I provide veterinary support to the broiler service and wider farming team. Together with the service team, we perform regular health checks and disease surveillance. If there are issues, this may involve investigations that include history taking, physical examinations of birds, collecting samples, requesting diagnostics, then formulating appropriate treatment and prevention strategies. Overall it’s a very multifaceted role where no two days are ever the same.
What do you find most interesting or rewarding about your work?
The most rewarding part of my role is helping others. It’s enjoyable being the person the team can rely on and come to when there are bird health issues, then working together to resolve them and prevent recurrence. To reassure a team member when they are concerned and hear the relief in their voice – when I can say “we will manage this together” – is very satisfying. Additionally, being able to recognise individuals and teams and thank them when they are doing a great job is also very rewarding. Saying thank you costs nothing but it can really mean the world to someone.
How does your role connect to Inghams’ broader purpose of providing deliciously good food in the best way?
The veterinary role connects to Inghams’ broader purpose of providing deliciously good food in the best way by ensuring the best possible health and welfare for our birds. This isn’t done in isolation – multiple teams contribute to maintaining this objective. It’s a combined effort involving everything from nutritional formulations and quality feed, to the tremendous care that goes into looking after our birds on farms, all the way through to when they arrive safely at the processing plant.
Growth and Development
How has Inghams supported your growth and development?
Inghams has supported my growth and development by providing opportunities to attend multiple conferences and by being welcomed to learn about all aspects of the business. Although I’m part of the veterinary team, I believe it’s important to have an overall understanding of how each of the business units operates. Every team has been very willing to share their knowledge, insights and challenges, which has greatly contributed to my growth and development. At the end of the day, we are all working together to achieve the same objective – to provide the best health, welfare and quality for our consumers, whether that’s for the bird or on the plate.
Additionally, there is a wonderful veterinary team at Inghams who I am incredibly grateful to. My manager, Andrew Walsh, plus the other veterinarians on the team have been incredible mentors!
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career here?
You will never stop learning, and that’s a good thing! There is so much to learn as a poultry veterinarian, and I feel like I have a long way to go – but I think that’s the same for everyone in their field. Learning is a daily process. There will always be new challenges on the horizon, but that’s what keeps things interesting and your mind ticking.
Working at Inghams
How would you describe the culture at Inghams?
At Inghams there is a culture of collaboration and curiosity. The teams work cross-functionally and when a great way of accomplishing an outcome is achieved, the learnings are shared so everyone benefits. Curiosity is encouraged – there is real openness for questions to be asked and ideas to be expressed. My leader, Andrew Walsh, fosters this too – questions are encouraged and I’ve never been made to feel any question is too big or small.
Why do you think Inghams is a good place to work and grow your career?
The culture at Inghams is very supportive and progressive. I’m relatively new to the poultry space and have always felt comfortable asking questions, never feeling like anything is off-limits. There is so much knowledge within this organisation and I’m very fortunate to learn from such an experienced team who are so willing to share and educate. Being an integrated business, there are also endless opportunities to learn, which makes it such a great place to grow and develop as a veterinary professional.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field or in a similar role at Inghams?
My advice to anyone starting out in this field is don’t be afraid. You will be welcomed with open arms, like I was. I found everyone very willing to take the time to teach, share their knowledge and assist someone new in the field. The poultry space is a great industry with lots of opportunities waiting for anyone wanting to grab them with both hands.
Personal Insights
How do you manage the pressures or demands of your role?
Make a list, prioritise, and then tackle things one by one. You only have so much energy and so many hours in a day, so making sure you’re using your time wisely. By focusing on one thing at a time helps prevent me feeling overwhelmed. Balance is really important too – work matters, but so do the things outside of work that help you recharge. Those are the things that help you stay well and bring your best self to everything you do.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love running and being out in nature. There’s nothing better than putting together a cracking new playlist and going for a long run. We live in a beautiful part of the world, so it’s important to take the time to stop and appreciate what’s around us. Also, friends and family are a big part of my life so spending quality time with them brings me a lot of joy.
What’s your favourite Inghams product – and why?
The chicken tenders! So versatile – great for wraps, stir-fries, and they’re healthy too!
What attracted you to a career in science?
I always wanted to be a vet from a young age. I have a love of animals and a strong desire to help, so this career path met both of those. Veterinary science is a really broad discipline providing such variety meaning you can take your career in so many directions – the opportunities are endless.
What advice would you give to others – particularly women or underrepresented groups – considering a career in this field?
Go for it! The more diverse thinking that can be brought to a team and a role, the better. Diverse perspectives can unlock better solutions, challenge traditional ways of doing things, and open up new opportunities. There are only positives that can come from this.
How does working at an integrated operation like Inghams shape your work in ways that wouldn’t be possible elsewhere?
The scale and opportunity for endless learning is huge at Inghams. That makes it an incredibly appealing place to work for anyone with a thirst for learning and continuous growth and development. It’s difficult to call it ‘work’ some days but I’m grateful for the privilege to grow and develop at a place like Inghams.