College of Optometrists

John Thompson was formerly a Civil Servant working with Ministers to develop and implement their policies. He spent much of his career at the Department of Health where, among other posts, he was Head of the Primary Care Division that included policy onthe non-medical primary care professions (optometrists, dentists and pharmacists). Other senior posts dealt with NHS Reform, AIDS, and the use of medicines in the NHS. Later, at the Home Office he was head of the Crime Prevention Agency and the Crime Reduction Unit. At the Health and Safety Executive he was head of the Chemicals Policy Division. At present he is a Non-Executive Director of the Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust and he was Clerk of the Independent Inquiry into a Professional Body for Pharmacy.

Jonathan is a director of Operis TRG Limited, a specialist financial modelling and advisory firm working in the project finance and public-private partnership industry. He has an MBA and is a member of the Securities Institute and he is the author of the standard textbook on financial modelling. He is currently a governor of Anglia Ruskin University and a Justice of the Peace, and has previously served on the boards of several charitable and voluntary bodies. Jonathan has extensive experience of corporate governance in the public and private sectors, with particular expertise in audit and compliance.

David is currently Emeritus Professor of Physics at Imperial College London, where he has spent most of his scientific career. He maintains an international research activity in electronic materials, particularly magnetic and superconducting compounds; in the past, he has had some interests in the optical properties of materials.  He has extensive experience of appraisal and review of research programmes, both nationally and internationally.  He has published about 300 research papers, and has some experience of broadcasting on science. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.  Since retirement he has been a Lay Member of the Bar Standards Board Conduct Committee, and was one of two Lay Vice-Chairs (2006-2008); he is currently the Vice-Chair on two National Patient Safety Agency Research Ethics Committees, and is a Lay Partner with the Health Professions Council.

Clare is a barrister practising principally in the areas of personal injury and employment law. She is a director of 13 King’s Bench Walk Limited and a member of her chambers’ management committee. In addition to her work at the bar, Clare is a practitioner lecturer at The Inns of Court School of Law. She is keenly interested in the theatre and dance and is currently a member of the dramatic committee of the Sevenoaks Players, a registered charity.

Tony is a Physics graduate from the University of Southampton and has worked his entire career in scientific Research & Development. He started work as a semiconductor process engineer with Phillips and then became an R&D manager at the IBM UK Development Laboratories developing magnetic disc drives. He was involved in an MBO from IBM and subsequently became Technical Director for ADFlex (flexible printed circuits) and then Technical Director for City Technology (electrochemical & optical gas sensors). He is now semi-retired and works occasionally as a consultant. He has had a deep interest in all eye care matters since experiencing a serious eyesight problem as a teenager.