General Optical Council

Secretariat

Registrar/Chief Executive
Dian Taylor
email: reg@optical.org
email: dtaylor@optical.org

Executive Assistant to Registrar and Chair
Naomi Ford
email: nford@optical.org
Contact me for all contact with the Registrar and Chair

Finance

Financial Controller
Ami Samra
email: asamra@optical.org

Accounts Assistant 
Sofia Khan
email: skhan@optical.org 

Contact us for:

• All accounts queries
• Member/ staff expenses  

Education

Director of Education
Linda Kennaugh
email: lkennaugh@optical.org

PA to Director of Education
Hayley Robinson
email: hrobinson@optical.org 
Contact me for:

• Queries for Linda Kennaugh, Director of Education
• General education queries
• Queries about practising in the UK with overseas qualifications

Accreditation Policy and Project Officer
Lisa Sparkes
email: lsparkes@optical.org
Contact me for:

• Accreditation and quality assurance of education and training
• Visits
• CET

Education Policy and Project Officer
Paul Gavin
email: pgavin@optical.org
Contact me for:

• Schemes for Registration, Examinations & Assessments
• Accreditation of Education & Training outside the UK
• Specialist Qualifications & Training (Independent Prescribing, Supplementary Prescribing, Additional Supply & Contact Lens)
• CET

Human Resources & Organisational Development

Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development
Lesa Oakley
email: loakley@optical.org

PA to Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development and Director of Standards
Mandy Bainger
email: mbainger@optical.org
Contact me for:

• All HR issues
• Organisational development
• Queries for Deputy Registrar/Director of Standards 
• Queries regarding the administration of the following committees and their associated working groups: Audit, Standards

Administration

Facilities Manager
Jacob Sanchez
email: jsanchez@optical.org
Contact me for:

• Queries regarding our premises
• Change of personal details
• General enquiries

• Hotel and travel bookings
• Office adminstration   

IT  

•   Any IT queries

    
Fitness to Practise investigation and criminal prosecutions

Director of Legal Services and Fitness to Practise
Ros Hayles
email: rhayles@optical.org

PA to Director of Legal Services and Fitness to Practise
Julia Fiske
email: jfiske@optical.org

Assistant Director of Legal and Fitness to Practise
Kisha Punchihewa
email: kpunchihewa@optical.org

Fitness to Practise Investigations Manager
Sarita Khaira
email: skhaira@optical.org

Senior Lawyer
Claire Kohlis
email@ ckohlis@optical.org

Legal Assistant
Georgina Devoy
email: gdevoy@optical.org

Contact us for:

• Concerns about registrants’ fitness to practise
• Fitness to practise investigations
• Potential criminal actions

Standards 

Deputy Registrar/ Director of Standards and Education
Jon Levett
email: jlevett@optical.org
Contact me for policy enquiries on standards issues such as:

• Codes of conduct
• Competencies
• Sale and supply of optical appliances
• Prescriptions
• Supply and administration of ophthalmic drugs

Assistant Director of Standards
Grahame Tinsley
email: gtinsley@optical.org
Contact me for policy and procedural enquiries on standards issues such as:

• Codes of conduct
• Sale and supply of optical appliances
• Supply and administration of ophthalmic drugs
• Revalidation scheme for optometrists and dispensing opticians 

Council Manager
Maria Claridge
email: mclaridge@optical.org

Council Officer Joan Burrow
email: jburrow@optical.org
Contact us for all enquiries regarding the Council

Hearings management

Hearings Manager
David Henley
email: dhenley@optical.org
Contact me for:

• All aspects of fitness to practise and registration appeal committee hearings
• Permission to use a ‘protected’ title when forming a limited company