Virtual Bristol Distinguished Address: Doug Perkins, Chair and Founder and Dame Mary Perkins, Co-founder, Specsavers
Talk
>by Industry Events
Building the World’s Largest High Street Optics and Audiology Brand
Doug and Dame Mary Perkins founded Specsavers with the aim of offering affordable eye care to everyone. They will talk about how they saw the opportunity to revolutionise the optical market, following a relaxation of UK regulations, which allowed opticians to advertise products and services for the first time.
Specsavers is not built on a stock exchange model but rather on a unique joint venture partnership, where directors part-own and manage their own stores. Theirs is a values-led approach to business, which has led to a world-wide organisation that turns over 3 billion a year, operating in 10 countries and employing 35,000 colleagues.
Doug and Dame Mary met in Cardiff while studying optometry at university. After graduating they bought Mary’s father’s optometry business in her home town of Bristol, which they built into a successful chain of more than 20 stores across the south west. This provided invaluable experience when they set up Specsavers.
With Mary being Bristol-born and educated and Doug living in Bristol for 15 years (and even playing for Bristol rugby club), they will describe how their business experience in Bristol acted as an extended pilot for the birth of Specsavers and inspired their vision for affordable eyecare and audiology at scale.
After selling their original chain of stores, it took a further three years of worldwide research of partnership and franchises, which were unheard of in the medical sector, to create their unique business model.
Discuss this event on Twitter using the hashtag #BristolLectures.
Programme:
18:25 – Join the talk online
18:30 – 19:30 – Lecture including Q&A
Free event
Register for the event More information
Creative industry events in and around Bristol
The Arena x Outlaw Speed Mentoring
6pm
-8:30pm
Outlaw, Bristol, BS16JQ
Networking
Join on Thursday 24th April as The Arena break down barriers to the creative industry and give traditional ‘mentoring’ a fun twist
Pimento 6pm Club
18:00
-20:00
Mostly Media, 11 Kelso Place, Upper Bristol Road, Bath, BA1 3AU
Networking
This April, we’re bringing the Pimento 6pm Club to Bath, hosted by Marketing Managed. Join us for an evening of connections and opportunities with fellow independent agencies and consultants. The event will involve a short introduction from us and our host before opening up for networking with fellow members and guests.
For more information: https://portal.pimento.co.uk/membership
In-person Bristol small business meet-up
10:00
-12:00
Meet-Up
Local freelance journalist Dan Martin hosts the latest Enterprise Nation meet-up for small business owners in Bristol and surrounding areas.
Come along to learn new skills, discover opportunities, discuss challenges, be inspired and make a group of local business friends.
Attend the free meet-up with a business challenge or need in mind and the friendly group of fellow founders will help you solve it.
This in-person event takes place at Mrs. Potts Chocolate House, 50 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5JN. Free drinks will be provided.
You need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information