John Patrick Conway: SMC(tech), CDir, FIoD, FCIPS, MSc.
On the morning of Saturday July 27 2019, optical industry veteran and industry leader John Patrick Conway passed away at the age of 60. He leaves behind his loving wife of over 34 years Mary, three sons Ciaran, Joseph and Benedict, and grandson Sebastian.
Tribute by Barry Dibble, FMO past chairman
John was born in Gloucester and joined the Norville Optical Group straight from school. John was instrumental in transforming a large card inventory control system into one of the very first bar code frame/lens control systems in the industry. Then moving on to Seiko Optical UK, John introduced innovations such as the voice picking initiative and the computer (EDI) ordering concept that revolutionised the company’s customer services working practices. This was recognised as an optical industry first.
When John was appointed as managing director of Seiko Optical UK in 2004 the company was struggling with significant losses but through diligent hard work and powerful leadership he achieved consecutive double digit annual growth for over a decade. This had a significantly positive impact on the local economy in Gloucester and the UK business became so successful that it accounted for 40% of Seiko’s total European turnover.
John’s amiable and people-centred style of management was recognised when Seiko Optical became one of only 600 companies world-wide to be awarded the Investors in People Gold accreditation, an achievement the company repeated with a subsequent second award. His excellence in leadership and management were recognised with fellowships of both the Institute of Directors (FIoD) and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (FCIPS). John’s dedicated and innovative leadership saw him promoted to managing director of Seiko Europe in 2015 and this role required him to oversee a business worth in excess of €188 million across 19 countries.
In service to the optical industry, John proudly served as a director of the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians (FMO) from 2005-15 and as chairman of the lens group from 2007-09. In 2011 he was elected to the prestigious role of chairman of the board of the FMO. This voluntary position saw him lead the industry with distinction, raising the global profile and respect of the UK optical industry.
He was awarded his Master’s degree in Procurement in 2012 from Glamorgan University. Appointed as a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers in 2006, John led the development of innovative new optical qualifications and modules. John was awarded honorary life membership of the FMO in December 2017 in recognition of his contribution to the optical industry.
In addition to John’s work in the optical industry, he contributed to the wider local community in Gloucester in many ways. John played rugby for the Old Cryptian’s Rugby Club many years (notching up over 300 games) and in 1996 he founded a youth rugby section of the club which is still going to this day. He was heavily involved in the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and played Gaelic football at both regional and international level.
John was a homegrown Gloucester man who rose through the ranks to become an international business leader and innovator in the industry to which he devoted his life. Through his long and distinguished career John had raised the profile of British business throughout the world, where he had conducted optical business in over forty different countries, and at each step of the way had done so with integrity and congeniality. He will be profoundly missed.