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Kovin Naidoo named CEO, Brien Holden Vision Institute
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The Brien Holden Vision Institute announced the appointment of Kovin Naidoo to chief executive officer, which follows his interim CEO position after the passing of Brien Holden, PhD, DSc, OAM, in July 2015.
“Kovin is a wonderful leader, a person of great integrity, a remarkable entrepreneur and a global leader in advocating for eye care access,” Brian Layland, OAM, board chair, said in a press release from the Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI).
Naidoo is supported by Yvette Waddell, chief operating officer; Paul Erickson, head of research and development and CEO of Brien Holden Vision Pty. Ltd.; Amanda Davis, COO of Brien Holden Vision Institute Public Health; and Kah Ooi Tan, CEO of Brien Holden Vision Institute China.
Kovin Naidoo
Beyond the CEO appointment, Naidoo is an academic, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner, optometrist and public health leader. He has dedicated his professional life to delivering eye care to those in need through research, public health and entrepreneurship, according to the press release.
Naidoo has served as the head of optometry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and as the cofounder and CEO of the African Vision Research Institute. He cofounded the Clear Vision Optical franchise and served on many boards, most recently the Vision Impact Institute, according to the release.
He has served as the Africa chair of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, trustee of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, a member of the World Council of Optometry governing board and member of the World Health Organization Refractive Error Working Group, the release said. He is founder and chair of African Vision and chairs the South African Red Cross Air Mercy Services Board of Trustees.
Naidoo is a Fulbright Scholar, according to the release, and in 2006 was elected an Ashoka Fellow for his social entrepreneurial efforts in aiding those less privileged.
He also was the African Optometrist of the Year in 2002 and International Optometrist in 2007.
In 2010, he was jointly awarded, with Holden, the Schwab Social Entrepreneur Award for Africa in 2010.