Gareth Hadley, chair of the General Optical Council (GOC), has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his services to the optical sector
He was first appointed as chair in 2013 and was re-elected in 2017, but the search for Hadley’s replacement has started as he will stand down in February 2021.
Lesley Longstone, CEO of the GOC, said: ‘We’d like to thank Gareth for his leadership, passion and commitment throughout the years and we hope our friends and colleagues across the optical sector will join us in congratulating him on this outstanding achievement.’
Hadley instigated the development of the Business Standards, which Longstone noted as a major step forward in the regulation of the optical sector.
He also oversaw the commissioning of the Optical Consumer Complaints Service, launched the Education Strategic Review and review of Continuing Education and Training.