Specsavers founders Dame Mary and Doug Perkins CBE are hosting an opening evening at their La Villiaze head office on Thursday 17 July.

Billed as a future of work showcase, the event marks 30 years since the Perkins’ took over
the former Tektronix factory.

With extensive refurbishment work of the 120,000 sq ft premises nearing completion, the open evening will highlight Specsavers’ modern facilities, diverse career opportunities across 23 industries, and commitment to community and innovation.

Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the facilities and learn more about the Guernsey- founded business, which has grown into the world’s largest privately owned optical and audiology provider.

There will also be a some short presentations on the evening from Specsavers leaders and guest experts about the evolving world of work and the skills the islands need to keep prospering.

Among those speaking will be Guernsey Innovation Board members Justin Bellinger, Susan Watson and Katie Inder.

Mr Bellinger said: “We are very grateful to Specsavers for inviting us to this event and look forward to discussing some thoughts on the night around the challenges and opportunities Guernsey’s economic future will face.”

Also speaking will be Marc Lewis, the Dean of London’s School of Communication Arts. A pioneer in AI adoption and educational delivery, Mr Lewis is a regular visitor to the island,
supporting Specsavers in its provision of creative skills training to Guernsey students. This has seen more than 200 post-16 students complete training at Specavers over the past two years.

Mr Perkins said: “Mary and I are looking forward to welcome people into the office for what we hope will be an informative and enjoyable evening. Working practises are rapidly evolving with video calls and other digital tools very much benefiting the way our colleagues interact and carry out their day-to-day tasks. AI is also enabling increasingly efficient ways of working.

“La Villiaze has changed a lot over the years. With the recent refurbishments we now have a state-of-the-art work space that encourages engagement and interaction while having plenty of quiet spaces too.”

Also speaking on the night will be Peter Wright, who moved to the island in 2021 when he joined Specsavers as Chief Marketing Officer.

Mr Wright, who previously held the same position at Ikea said: “Specsavers is 100% committed to Guernsey, but we need access to the right skills to continue thriving locally. And we feel it’s our responsibility as the island’s biggest employer to play our part in helping create the pipeline of skills that the island needs as a whole. I am looking forward to the discussions around this on the evening.”

The public showcase from 18:00 – 20:00 on Thursday 17 July is free for anyone to attend.