Dr Anne Wright CBE reappointed as Chair of Council

The General Optical Council (GOC) has today announced that Dr Anne Wright CBE has been reappointed by the Privy Council as Chair of Council for a further four-year term. 

Dr Wright took up the role of Chair in April 2021 and has led the organisation through a period of successful change and development, including an Education Strategic Review and the introduction of a new Continuing Professional Development scheme, as well as preparing for future legislative reform, including development of a proposed model of regulation for all optical businesses.

Dr Wright was formerly Lay Vice-Chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Chair of the National Lottery Commission for eight years until 2013, and a Member of the Bar Standards Board from 2012 to 2017. Her career in higher education led to appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland from 1990 to 1998. She was awarded the CBE in 1997 for services to higher education. Dr Wright’s other non-executive roles have included the School Teachers Review Body and the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. 

 Dr Wright said: “I am delighted to be reappointed as Chair of Council. It is an exciting time at the GOC, as we will shortly be launching a new five-year strategic plan which will concentrate on ensuring safe and effective eye care for all. It sets out our priorities for delivering our mission of protecting the public by upholding promoting and maintaining high standards for our registrants in the optometrist and dispensing optician professions in their delivery of eye care. We plan to achieve this by creating fairer and more inclusive eye care services, preventing harm through agile regulation, supporting responsible innovation and protecting the public.

I would like to thank all staff and colleagues at the GOC for the continued hard work. I look forward to continuing to work with them, and all our important stakeholders in my next term.” 

 Leonie Milliner, Chief Executive and Registrar, said: “Anne’s first term as Chair of Council at the GOC has been instrumental in delivering our ambition to become a world-class regulator. Her leadership, alongside the contribution of Council, has been an integral part of how we have progressed as an organisation.

I am delighted that she will be joining us for a second term, and that we will continue to work closely as we move into our new five-year strategy. I know the members and staff at the GOC have benefited her leadership, particularly in respect to our equality, diversity and inclusion plans.”