Dame Mary Lesley Perkins DBE FBOA, co-founder of the Specsavers Opticians

Mary established Specsavers with her husband, Doug, in 1984 from their spare bedroom. Since then the company has grown to become the largest private optical company in the world. It is the leading eye care provider in the UK with one in three people who wear spectacles, buying their eyewear from Specsavers Opticians. They have more than 860 stores and a turnover of €1.1 billion (2005/6).

Mary’s firm belief and strong business acumen told her that people should be able to afford stylish eyewear at reasonable prices and this is a foundation upon which the company is based.

As a champion of women in business, Mary has led by example. Her success in a male-dominated industry shows that through determination and passion, women can succeed and make a difference in business and she has ensured that women working within Specsavers do not have to overcome the barriers that she did. When she qualified as an optician in the 1960s a mere 3% of qualified optometrists were female. Since then she has given nearly 300 women opticians the opportunity to own and run their own businesses, each of which turns over around £1 million per year.

In addition, nearly 9,500 of the 13,000 workforce are women and at the company’s head office, 51 per cent of the staff are women including ten who report directly to the main board and two female board directors.

Throughout Specsavers’ 20 years in business, Mary has remained at the heart of the business juggling family and professional commitments. Her personal touch has endeared her to all her employees – indeed she continues to write birthday cards to everyone in the company and never misses a special occasion, supporting her staff in their personal and professional lives.
Mary received the inaugural “Spirit of everywoman” Award in 2006, created to honour one woman considered to have changed the landscape for women in business.