Our Board

Joy was a non-executive director for a Primary Care Trust (2002–2013) and at the Health and Care Professions Council (2009–2016). She has Chaired various key committees, including Chair of the Education Committee at the Health and Care Professions Council (2013–2016), Chair of the Lay Advisory Group at the Royal College of Ophthalmology (2017–2019) and co-Chair of the Clinical Governance and Quality Committee at St Raphael’s Hospice, where Joy was a director until 2022.

Joy has an academic background and has led Masters modules on leadership at Westminster Business School as well as being part of the MBA course team. She was previously a course leader for an MSc in healthcare leadership and governance. Joy was also involved in academic leadership development at the University of Westminster, and her interests include leadership and governance within the public, non-profit and social enterprise sectors.

Joy has an MA from the University of Westminster and a PhD from Birkbeck, University of London. She’s also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Before joining the Board in 2025, Bobby previously worked as a LOCSU Advancement Lead from 2021 to 2024, to broaden her breadth of experience outside a clinical setting and help influence optometry’s voice across the NHS landscape. Alongside this role Bobby reinforced her strategic and leadership capabilities within Asda Opticians Professional Services Team looking after compliance and regulation.

Having qualified in 2000, Bobby has extensive experience as a resident optometrist, in addition to working part-time as a locum optometrist in the independent sector, HMP, hospital optometry clinics and as a supervisor at Bradford University.

Born and bred in Yorkshire, Bobby is a proud mum and advocate for improving access to healthcare for individuals with lived experiences of disabilities.

He’s been an active member of Shropshire LOC since 2019 and was elected a College of Optometrists Council Member in 2021.

She contributes to the College of Optometrists as a reviewer for the Clinical Management Guidelines and holds a Diploma in Independent Prescribing and a Professional Certificate in Glaucoma. She is passionate about advancing professional standards and supporting the development of high-quality eye care services within the community.

After spending a period running an addictions charity, he spent seven years as CEO of Shelter, where he was closely involved in Government housing policy. He was then asked to set up and run the first Legal Ombudsman service, before leaving his role as Chief Ombudsman to set up his own consultancy business, where his varied client list included MasterCard, Which? and the Cabinet Office. He is also an Associate at the Oxford University Centre for Socio-Legal Studies.

Alistair began his career as a solicitor in private practice before holding senior roles at the communications regulator Ofcom and serving as Executive Director of the Communications Consumer Panel, the statutory advocacy body for consumers. He then became Director of Strategy at the General Optical Council, the regulator for dispensing opticians, optometrists and optical businesses. Alistair has a master’s degree in organisational consultancy and was a trustee of Vision UK.

Harjit is a health policy expert with special interests in health economics and health systems. He started his career as an optometrist and has worked in a variety of clinical, policy and operational roles across community practice, the hospital service, the third sector and international clinical trials. He has an MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management from the LSE, and brings a wide range of analytical, clinical and public health skills to his role.

He is the Clinical Lead for the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), and Chair of Devon Local Optical Committee. Max is also a Clinical Governance and Performance Lead and Director of his local Primary Eyecare Company and also sits on NHS England’s Local Eyecare Team Liaison Group.

With over 25 years in the optics industry. She has worked in multiple and independent practices and the last 15+yrs of her career have been in head office leadership roles—spanning compliance, governance, professional training, EOS and commercial strategy. Sarah also serves as a Non-Executive Director at FODO and LOCSU, chairs the UK Board at FODO, is on the GOC Companies Committee and the College Disciplinary Panel. She is passionate about clinical leadership, professional development and supporting clinicians to work at the top of their license.

She is the Finance Director at the Association of Optometrists having joined the AOP in 2014. Prior to joining the AOP, she worked for KPMG LLP spending a number of years working within the audit division on a variety of assignments before specialising in the insurance sector followed by 4 years in the restructuring division working with middle market companies in financial distress.

Prior to joining the College, Sarah led the national One Digital partnership and has previously worked in senior policy and influencing roles in heath charities, including as Director of Policy & Strategy at Prostate Cancer UK. She has also been the Programme Director of two charitably-funded national health research programmes.

Sarah is a lay member of the Professional Conduct Committee and Health Committee of the General Osteopathic Council and a trustee of Pie Factory Music. She has a PhD in Pharmacology and worked in a variety of research settings before her career in the not-for-profit sector.