Historically the swine industry has been dominated by men, but over the past few years, the dynamic is changing as more women join the industry. Yet despite the accomplishments women have made in the workforce over the past 100 years, it can still be challenging to be a woman in a male dominated world. That is one reason why Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI) launched Swine Link, a network for women by women.

This past weekend, BIVI hosted an event for several swine vets and other women in the industry to help them network among their peers as well as offer them some educational opportunities. Two women came in from North Carolina, Dr. Melissa Billing and Dr. Jessica Seate both with Murphy-Brown.

I asked Dr. Billing about her experience as a female in the swine industry as well as one of the most important things she took away from the weekend. She knew since she was six that she would be a vet, but it wasn’t until vet school that she decided she wanted to land a job in the swine industry. Dr. Billing is unique in that when she began in the industry, her boss was a woman and she really looked up to her as a role model to show her the way in the industry and profession. She said that she really enjoyed interacting with other women in the industry and getting to know other professionals.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Melissa Billing here: Advice from Dr. Melissa Billing

Dr. Jessica Seate was one of the newest vets in the swine industry and unlike many of her colleagues, she knew she wanted to be a swine vet since undergrad. She said she has some really great professors and mentors at Michigan State University who really helped her pursue her goal of practicing swine medicine. She said that her entry into the field hasn’t been that difficult, but what has been challenging is working with older growers who are set in their ways, to introduce new management tools and ideas. Dr. Seate said she enjoys participating in events such as Swine Link because it gives her the ability to bounce ideas of other professionals.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Jessica Seate here: Advice from Dr. Jessica Seate

Check out the photos from the event in the Swine Link photo album.