Meet our expert team in veterinary communication training
At Nurtur, we believe that exceptional veterinary care goes beyond medical expertise – it’s about clear, compassionate communication. Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to helping veterinarians and their staff to develop the communication skills needed to build strong client relationships, enhance teamwork and improve patient outcomes.
With backgrounds in veterinary medicine, executive animal health business management, professional communication and coaching, our trainers bring a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to every session.
Get to know our team and discover how we can help you communicate with confidence and clarity in every aspect of veterinary practice:
Karin Jager
CEO & Trainer
Karin is a passionate people and business manager with extensive experience in managing businesses in animal health. With an educational background in journalism and business management, she has worked for more than 25 years in the animal health sector. Karin is born in The Netherlands, she has lived and worked in several countries, and she moved to the USA in 2012. Since 2015 she is a parttime teacher at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Utrecht, The Netherlands. She is a pet-mother of two German Shepherd dogs and a horse. For Nurtur she manages the overall activities and loves to provide engaging and eye-opening in-person training sessions for veterinary professionals.
Mickey McDermott
Director Communication Learning Development
Mickey has spent over 30 years in marketing communication positions in pharma and in animal health companies. He completed a PhD in veterinary communication with the University of Notthingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. He is a gifted speaker and presenter at conferences and universities. Mickey has put his training and background to work in the development and delivery of veterinary communication skills training and the conduct of veterinary communication research. Mickey is a true pet lover and enjoys spending time with his wonderful rescue dogs.
Steve Kirton
Founder & Advisor
Steve has amassed impressive marketing and business insights in both human and animal health. As president of Circa Healthcare, a leading animal-health focused, strategic marketing and communications agency, he invested in a start-up companion animal veterinary clinic, pet health businesses and in Nurtur because he believes in the importance of veterinary communication skills. Steve is a pet-parents of his German Shepherd dogs and two cats (who love to photobomb our video meetings).
Alyssa Mages
Director Veterinary Team Development
Alyssa has spent nearly 20 years in multiple disciplines of veterinary medicine practice coaching and teaching, most recently as co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Empowering Veterinary Teams LLC. She is an accomplished public speaker, content creator, and collaborative coach focused on the growth and development of veterinary technicians and other veterinary professionals. Alyssa is certified in RECOVER (BLS/ALS) and Fear Free (Level II/Leadership) and is the author of multiple RACE-approved CE lectures. She is also the guiding force behind the culture and energy of nurtur.
Caitlin Keat
Director Business Operations
Caitlin is an accomplished engineer with experience in the management of complex programs, including time spent as Program Manager at Lockheed Martin and as Chief Operations Officer at Empowering Veterinary Teams, where she is working side by side with Alyssa keeping their veterinary technician training and education engine running. Using her formidable operations skills and knowledge, Caitlin helps ensure that the delivery of Nurtur’s communication trainings is best in class.
