Board Members

The MEPS Board is an elected body that is responsible for the administration of the Section, the dissemination of information to members, the co-ordination of meetings and Congress gatherings and for liaison with the FIP boards. The President and Vice Presidents are elected for a four year term.

President (till 2014): Col. Chen Zheng-yu, China
Immediate Past President (till 2014): Col. Helmut G. Höhn, Germany
Permanent Secretary: Mrs Jane Dawson, New Zealand
Vice President/ Treasurer (till 2014): Lt. Col. Richard Wosolsobe, Austria
Vice President (till 2014): Lt. Col. Wendy Walker, Australia
Vice President (till 2014): Lt Col Susan Groves, Canada


Biographical Details

 

President: Col. Zheng-yu Chen

Colonel CHEN Zheng-yu is an associate chief pharmacist and medical officer of the Health Department of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (CPLA). He obtained his Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1993, his Master of Administrative Pharmacy in 1996, and his Doctor of Military Health Service in 2007, all from the Second Military Medical University (SMMU) of CPLA. In 2003 and 2004, he received UN peace-keeping training course at Switzerland and Canada respectively. In 2010, he has been trained at CPLA’s Army, Navy, Air force and Second Artillery Command Colleges respectively.

He had served as a medical officer in the School of Pharmacy, SMMU, responsible for the coordination of pharmaceutical research, postgraduate training and foreign exchanges from 1996 to 1999, and started his work for the Pharmacy and Medical Instruments Administration Bureau of Health Department, CPLA, from 1999 to 2002. During the 2003 to 2004 period, he has worked as medical officer responsible for the medical foreign affairs and peacekeeping medical units of CPLA. From 2005, he back to the Pharmacy and Medical Instruments Administration Bureau till now.

He is currently working on the pharmaceutical policies and regulations, military medical reform, special drugs management, and pharmacists’ practice within the CPLA. He is also the commissary of International Academic Exchange Committee of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Vice President of the Pharmacy Management Branch of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Pharmaceutical Commission.

 

 

Immediate Past President: Col. Helmut G. Höhn

Colonel Pharmacist (Oberstapotheker) Helmut G. Höhn
Date of Birth: 05 April 1949

Qualifications: 
- 1976: Pharmacy Degree (State Examination and Certificate)
- 1979: Food Chemistry Degree (State Examination and Certificate)
- 1993: Expert Pharmacist of Drug Information
- 1995: Expert Pharmacist of Public Health Service Present Position: Chief of the military pharmaceutical (including food chemistry) branch in the Medical Service Staff at the German Ministry of Defence

Previous:
- 95-99 Senior Head of the Military Pharmacy in the German Air Force
- 93-94 Personnel Department of the German MOD
- 91-93 Aide of the Surgeon General of the Bundeswehr and Chief of Medical Service Staff
- 90-91 Assistant branch chief in the military pharmacy branch of the German MOD
- 85-90 Military medical and Health Agency of the Bundeswehr
- 80-85 Head of Pharmaceutical Department at the Office of the Surgeon General of the German Air Force
- 79-80 Deputy Commander of a Medical Depot


Permanent Secretary: Mrs Jane Dawson

Jane currently works as the Director of Defence Health Quality for the New Zealand Defence Force. She is responsible for the governance and quality assurance processes of health services and the legal provision of all pharmaceutical services within the NZDF and as such has a wide-ranging scope of practice. Prior to joining the NZDF, twenty one years ago, she was a part-time tutor at the Central Institute of Technology, School of Pharmacy for six years and for six years prior to that was a hospital pharmacist, based at Dunedin and Wellington Hospitals in New Zealand and Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, England.


Her career with the military has been distinguished with the award of a Chief of General Staff Commendation for outstanding work.  In 2010 she was awarded a Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand.

 

Vice President: Lt. Col. Richard Wosolsobe, Lieutenant Colonel Pharmacist

I graduated Pharmacy from the University of Vienna in 1996. In 1997 I was licensed as pharmacist after my state examination. Currently I am Major Pharmacist in the Austrian Armed Forces. I am holding the position as chief of pharmacy in the Austrian Armed Forces Hospital in Vienna (since 2003).Previously I have served as military pharmacist in the medical staff of Corpscommand I.  In 1999 I was deployed to Albania (AFOR) during the Kosovo crises with an Austrian field hospital unit.

 

Vice President: Lt. Col. Wendy Walker, Australia

Born in Zimbabwe, moved to Australia in 1982.  Educated in both Zimbabwe and Australia, she gained her Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Queensland in 1991, and joined the Australian Army whilst an undergraduate, in 1989.  Has had a variety of postings in the Army, starting as a clinical pharmacist at a field hospital, right through to being the senior ADF pharmacist in 2007, when she was promoted to her current rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  She has also had postings at Army supply companies, resulting in her being the Officer Commanding (OC) of the Defence National Storage and Distribution Centre - Randwick (DNSDC-R) (Medical and Dental Company) twice; once as a Major 2001-03, and currently (2010 - 2013), supernumerary by rank.  Wendy has had two deployments; in 2000 to Bougainville as the Operations Officer/2IC/Pharmacist of the Combined Health Element of the Peace Monitoring Group; and in 2004 to the Solomon Islands as the Contract Manager Health Services for the Combined Joint Task Force of the Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands.  In 2003, Wendy was awarded a Silver Commendation from the Commander Joint Logistics for her services as OC DNSDC-R.

 

Vice President: Lt Col Susan Groves, Canada

LCol Susan Groves is currently the Senior Pharmacy Practice Leader for the Canadian Forces (CF). She is responsible for all Professional-Technical aspects of pharmacy practice within the CF. She received her pharmacy degree from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada after which she went to Alberta, Canada and did her hospital residency. She then worked in various hospitals rising to the position of Director of Pharmacy. In 1989 she was recruited by the CF and served in various line and staff positions. In 1992/1993 she deployed on the first roto to Croatia and Bosnia. In 1999 she left the CF to follow her husband and started her own business providing relief services. In 2004 she returned to Defence in a civilian position and in 2007 was recruited by the CF Surgeon-General into her current position.