Prominent Australian optical dispensers Mr Grant Hannaford and Ms April Petrusma have been named among just four finalists in the Silmo IOA International Optician of the Year Award 2022.
Petrusma, CEO of recently-formed organisation Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA), and Hannaford, co-founder and director of the Academy of Advanced Ophthalmic Optics, are both shortlisted, alongside Ms Wendy Buchanan from Canada and Mr Jean Francois Porte from France.
The finalists were announced on 27 June, with the winner to be revealed at this year’s Silmo show in Paris, taking place on 23-26 September 2022.
In a post shared on Linkedin, Hannaford’s wife and business partner, Ms Thao Hannaford, said his career spans over two decades beginning with optical dispensing, to becoming an ophthalmic physicist and researcher.
“He’s done aid work recognised by the Australian Government, held key roles on several industry boards, became a fellow of ABDO UK under the tutelage of world renowned optics expert Professor Mo Jalie, is a lecturer at UNSW and is currently a doctoral candidate under the supervision of Professor Nicola Logan at Aston University UK,” she wrote.
“Win or not, we all know how hard you’ve worked from humble beginnings to get to where you are today.”
The ODA also shared its elation on Linkedin that their inaugural CEO had been nominated and shortlisted as one of only four finalists worldwide for international award.
“April [Petrusma] is a present and consistent professional voice of the dispensing profession,” ODA, which is affiliated with the International Opticians Association (IOA), stated.
“Whether it is presenting at industry events, engaging as an on-call optical dispenser for her long-term practice affiliation, as a senior trainer for Australasia’s largest optical dispensing training organisation, the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing (ACOD), using her immense knowledge to contribute to industry publications or as the spearhead of Australia’s newest member-based support network for the optical dispensing industry – Optical Dispensers Australia, April gives this industry all of herself, and we are honoured to have her passion and influence to share with you all.”
International Opticians Association (IOA) president Ms Fiona Anderson said the association was impressed by the calibre of entries.
“The finalists will now have the chance to supply a dossier of evidence to back up their achievements in the eight areas of expertise we are looking for. I hope that showcasing these outstanding opticians will inspire the whole profession,” she said.
As well as the award, the winner will win a trip to Silmo 2023.
The Silmo IOA International Optician of the Year Award was first presented in 2018 and recognises the importance of the optician in the optical business and their role in the choice of optimum products for their clientele.
The full announcement can be found here.
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