Press release: New president for ABDO

Kevin Gutsell FBDO (Hons) SLD became president of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) during a ceremony held on Thursday 9 May at the ABDO National Resources Centre (NRC) in Birmingham.

Kevin has a career spanning 40 years in optics. He qualified as a dispensing optician in 1987, working in practice before joining Alcon in 1996 as an area account manager. In 1998 he joined Nikon Optical UK and worked in roles in sales, marketing and professional services until 2013. He now runs Optical Centre Supplies, supplying CentroStyle products in the UK.

Kevin has also been a distance learning tutor for ABDO College since 1992, the ABDO representative on the Spectacle Lens Committee at the British Standards Institute since April 2014, a member of education visitor panels of the GOC since 2016, editor of Ophthalmic Lens Availability since 2021 and an ABDO Board member for most of the last 14 years.

At the ceremony, Kevin thanked outgoing president, Daryl Newsome for his dedication and hard work during the two years that he held the post, and then handed over the vice presidency to Brenda Rennie.

Kevin Gutsell says, “I would like to thank the Board for allowing me the privilege of becoming the president of ABDO and I look forward to working with current and future directors.

“I very much look forward to working with the new vice president Brenda and forging the style of leadership and teamwork which the immediate past president has afforded me during the last two years.”

Kevin will serve as ABDO president until April 2026, before handing over the chain of office to Brenda Rennie. As immediate past president, Daryl will become an advisor to the board for a period of two years.

##ENDS##

Notes to Editors

  1. Media enquiries to Carol Smith csmith@abdo.org.uk
  2. Images of Kevin and the event are available to download here.
  3. The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) is the professional body for dispensing opticians – working for dispensing opticians and advancing the profession in the UK and worldwide.
  4. Registered address Unit 2 Court Lodge Offices, Godmersham Park, Canterbury, CT4 7DT.