Marie Bucko takes interim CEO role at the Animal Health Institute

30/10/2026

The Animal Health Institute has named Dr. Marie Bucko as interim chief executive officer, placing an experienced operations leader at the head of the U.S. trade association for companies developing animal medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and related products. The appointment took effect immediately after Martha Scott Poindexter resigned as CEO, effective 20 October.

Bucko joined AHI as its first chief operating officer in August 2026. The Board said she will provide continuity while it conducts a search for the next CEO, and that the organisation's advocacy, member services, industry engagement and strategic initiatives will continue without interruption.

That continuity matters at a consequential point for the U.S. animal-health sector. AHI has been pressing for a faster, more predictable animal-drug review process through the forthcoming ADUFA VI negotiations with the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine. In June, the association set out three priorities for the process: speed, innovation and regulatory harmonisation. Those issues shape the cost, timing and scientific evidence needed to bring medicines, vaccines and diagnostics to veterinarians, livestock producers and pet owners.

AHI's constituency spans companion-animal and food-animal health, areas where regulatory decisions affect both research investment and the availability of preventive and therapeutic tools. The institute estimates that U.S. animal-health manufacturers recorded nearly $14 billion in sales in 2023, directly supporting 24,094 jobs. Its wider economic assessment also connects animal-health products to veterinary services, animal production, food manufacturing and pet services.

The interim appointment therefore gives AHI operational continuity while member companies engage on product approvals, disease preparedness, antimicrobial stewardship and trade. Bucko's immediate mandate is organisational rather than a change in policy, but it keeps those industry discussions under a leadership team already familiar with AHI's stated priorities.

For further information > Animal Health Institute