What does your professional career look like?
I passed my state examination at the Vetsuisse Faculty in Zurich in 2000. During my studies, I earned my living as an assistant nurse at the ruminant clinic. I saw lots of exciting cases and learned how to milk. My first job as a veterinarian was at the Vetsuisse Faculty in Bern in the herd medicine department with Prof. Küpfer. I wrote my dissertation using milk yield test data that my husband Marc Kirchhofer had collected. That's how we got to know each other. After working in various livestock practices, I qualified as an FVH specialist in ruminant health in 2007. During this time, I was a board member of the Swiss Association for Ruminant Health SVW for 6 years. From 2008 to 2024 I worked as a research associate at Swissgenetics.
What are your tasks in your current job?
At Swissgenetics, I was part of the Reproduction team, which is responsible for all education and training, consulting articles, training courses and www.die-fruchtbare-kuh.ch. My biggest projects were the first pages for “die-fruchtbare-kuh”, the introduction of the “insemination suitability” code, which is used to determine the gynecological health of the cow to be inseminated, the “Insemination practice with success” course for veterinarians, which has been held regularly since 2009, and working on the OC for the EAAP Congress 2021 in Davos.
I left Swissgenetics in 2024 after 16 years and will be working as a consultant at Arbeitssicherheit Schweiz, where I will be responsible for occupational safety in medical and veterinary practices, among other things. I'm really looking forward to this new start in my career and I'm excited to see what's in store for me.
Why were you at SVT? What were your tasks?
I represented Swissgenetics on the board. I was mostly involved in communications. That was also my role in the OC for the EAAP Congress in Davos in 2021. This congress was the highlight of my time on the Board, firstly because it was great to be part of this OC and secondly because the congress was held in Davos, my adopted home.
How long were you on the SVT Board?
2014-2024
What do you do in your free time?
I mainly look after our sons (18 and 16) and animals. The older son is a top rower. We cook lots of meals and wash lots of sports clothes. I also enjoy doing sports myself, jogging and walking with my dog. In the summer, I enter new sporting territory or water and learn to row. Our beautiful garden also needs looking after. And I chair the Rudolf von Tavel Foundation. Rudolf was my great-granduncle and a renowned writer 100 years ago. His trademark are historical novels written in “Bärndütsch”.
Do you have (farm) animals at home?
A vet without animals at home is suspicious to me. We have dogs, cats, tortoises and ducks. The latter pass as farm animals. It's hard for me to imagine life without animals.
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