Alistair Bridge steps into his new role as chief executive of ABDO this month, following the retirement of general secretary, Tony Garrett. He talks to Nicky Collinson about his background, hopes and plans for the Association and its members.
NC: Can you tell me about your professional background prior to joining ABDO in 2020 as head of strategy?
AB: I started my career as a solicitor and worked for a law firm in Manchester during Oasis’ heyday. I then moved to London and entered the world of regulation, working for the telecoms regulator, Oftel. I subsequently joined Ofcom, the communications regulator formed by merging five different regulators and helped to develop the new organisation’s strategy. At the same time, I studied for a Masters degree in organisational consultancy, which gave me insight into how groups and organisations work or, in some cases, don’t work. I then became executive director of the Communications Consumer Panel, the consumer advocacy body set up by parliament to make sure the government and Ofcom listen to consumers as well as companies like BT and Sky. From there, I joined the General Optical Council (GOC) as director of strategy. I led the development of the standards of practice for dispensing opticians (DOs) and optometrists, and instigated the Love Your Lenses campaign to encourage patients to wear contact lenses safely and have regular check-ups.
NC: You joined the organisation just as the Covid-19 pandemic struck. How did that affect your initial plans in your role as head of strategy?
AB: The pandemic did make it more difficult to get know my new colleagues, but I was fortunate in that I knew some of them already from my role at the GOC. The main difficulty was that it was harder for me to meet members in practice to understand their roles and how ABDO could better support and represent them. I’m looking forward to visiting practices on a regular basis in my new role, and if any member would like to invite me to their their practice, you can contact me at abridge@abdo.org.uk.
NC: What have been the biggest challenges for your role over the past two years?
AB: Trying and failing to stop my dog barking during Teams meetings has been an ongoing challenge, but an even bigger challenge was to influence the GOC’s Education Strategic Review, and ensure it understood the system of education for DOs and the high standards that students must meet. Influencing the review was a great team effort and we were very pleased that the GOC decided that students will need a degree-level qualification – like our Level 6 FBDO Diploma – to register and practise as a DO.
NC: What is your key priority as you step into your new role?
AB: My priority in the short-term is to make sure we are doing everything we can to support and represent members during what is going to be a very challenging period financially. Our membership team is always on hand to provide support and can signpost members to services, such as our legal helpline and counselling service, as well as the member benefits that provide valuable discounts on everyday items.
NC: What are your plans and hopes for the profession and organisation in the short-term?
AB: We will be publishing our Annual Plan for 2023 this month and this will set out our priorities for the year ahead. I’m always impressed by members’ professionalism and commitment to patients – and one thing I really want to focus on is raising awareness among employers of the valuable roles which DOs play. We’ll be launching a campaign to do this shortly. We’ll also be reviewing the products, services and benefits that we provide for members. This will include looking at the range of insurance policies we offer, while ensuring they continue to provide peace of mind and excellent value for money. Another priority will be to clarify our priorities in enabling members to develop their careers, which will feed into the education, training and qualifications we provide.
NC: What is your long-term vision for ABDO and its members?
AB: Our future vision is set out in the five-year strategic plan we published last year, but I particularly want us to increase the recognition of DOs and give members the support, education and training they need to take advantage of new opportunities. For ABDO, the key objective is to ensure it is sustainable, financially and environmentally, for the benefit of current and future members, and the world at large.