Optician sadly reports the death of optometrist Ronnie Brown. Optical Confederation chairman Chris Hunt has shared this tribute.
‘My first encounter with Ronnie was in 1985 when, as the newly appointed CEO of Rodenstock, I had the task of meeting with him at his Lea Bridge Road headquarters to inform him that, whilst executing a review of the company’s customer base, I had noticed that his group was enjoying maximum terms for a minimum of spend; a situation that I had to terminate.
‘It was to be the start of a relationship which, based on one hand shake during that same conversation, lasted more than two decades and saw the Ronald Brown Group become Rodenstock’s principal customer. I never did have the need for a written contract with Ronnie, his word was his bond and that was just as unique in business then as it is now.
‘But it was not only in business that Ronald had the knack of making one trust him. On a social visit to Paris we decided to cross the road at the Arc de Triomphe. Not realising that there was an underpass and spurred on by Ronnie who had already stepped off the pavement into a mass of hooting French drivers, we dodged and dived our way through lanes of speeding traffic collecting enough French expletives on the way to fill a dictionary. Safely on the other side and by now a physical wreck, I looked at Ronnie who, with his usual beaming grin, told me “it is all a matter of trust.”
‘And with Ronnie, so it was.’