Mary Perkins
Dame Mary Perkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 February 1944 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Known for | Founder of Specsavers |
| Title | Dame Mary Perkins |
Dame Mary Lesley Perkins, DBE (born 14 February 1944)[2] is co-founder and a senior executive of Specsavers, a leading bricks and mortar United Kingdom eyeglass company.
The wife of Specsavers co-founder and chairman Doug Perkins, they have three children, all of whom work for Specsavers, and are eventually expected to take over the privately owned company.[3]
Early life
She attended Fairfield Grammar School in Bristol. She then went to Cardiff University to train as an optometrist. At Cardiff, she met Doug Perkins, whom she would later marry. The couple established their first business in Bristol in the 1960s. This was a chain of opticians around Bristol, which they sold for £2 million in 1980, and continue to receive income from. After the sale the couple moved to Guernsey, where Mary's father had retired.[3]
Specsavers
Mary and Doug Perkins established Specsavers in Guernsey in 1984. In 2007 it was the largest privately owned opticians in the world, with nearly 900 stores across the UK and Europe.[4] Her current title at Specsavers is "founder". Dame Mary sits on the company board, oversees business development and has particular responsibility for running PR. She has admitted donning disguises and visiting Specsavers stores, posing as a customer.[3]
Awards and honours
Perkins was made an honorary fellow of Cardiff University in 2005. The same year she received the Rotary International Community and Vocational Service Award for her services to charity and in 2006 won the inaugural Spirit of everywoman Award. Mary Perkins was the first female optician in the UK to receive the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. It was awarded in recognition of her services to business and to the community in Guernsey. After receiving the accolade she commented:
I am absolutely thrilled, as you can imagine. This is a huge honour, not just for me but for everyone at Specsavers, as we all work as a team to give our customers what they want – quality, value for money professional eyecare. This makes me even more determined to passionately pursue the path we set ourselves 25 years ago and to continue to serve the British public.[4]
The accolade was also in recognition of her other charitable work, including the Guernsey annual "Specsavers Liberation Tea Dance for pensioners", and her directorship of Women's Refuge and Age Concern.[5] She was also awarded the Spirit of Everywoman Award in 2006.[6]
Perkins is patron to leading children's charity Kidscape[7]
Perkins was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2007.
References
- ^ "Rich list suggests UK richest seeing funds recovering". BBC News. 7 May 2011.
- ^ "Dame Mary Perkins, DBE". Debrett's People of Today. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^ a b c "The Andrew Davidson Interview: Specsavers founder in the frame". The Times. 2005-07-10. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ a b "Dame Mary Perkins thrilled by honour". Optician online. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ "Specsavers tycoon becomes a Dame". BBC. 2007-06-16. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ Little, Jenny (11 December 2006). "Roaring back at the dragons". This is Money. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.kidscape.org.uk/info/staffpatronlist.asp/