New leadership, new focus for Brien Holden Vision Institute

Brien Holden Vision Institute has announced a change in leadership and a shifting focus to public health and translational research.

The current CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) and the BHVI Foundation, Kovin Naidoo, OD, PhD, FAAO, FBCO, associate professor of optometry at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa, has resigned, and BHVI is using the opportunity to “create a new structure for the business,” the group said in a press release.

Traditionally, the CEO of BVHI is also the CEO of the foundation, but the institute’s board decided to take another approach, according to the release.

“Kovin brought stability to the organization during an emotional transition,” Brian Layland, OAM, chair of the BHVI board, said in a press release. “We owe him a great debt of gratitude.”

Yvette Waddell, who worked previously for BHVI as its chief operating officer, has been appointed as the new CEO of the institute. She has worked in the ophthalmic sector for the last 20 years, leading efforts to license intellectual property and create new business relationships with industry leaders.

“The teams at Brien Holden Vision Institute have decades of experience in research and development in the area of contact lenses, spectacles and IOLs,” Waddell said in the release. “My new role will allow the institute to focus on those strengths to meet the needs of the industry and address the need for new products in myopia.”

Amanda Davis was appointed as the new CEO for the BHVI Foundation and will lead a team of more than 100 educators, optometrists, public health researchers, project managers and support staff in more than 20 countries. Davis is the former chief operating officer for the foundation, a position she held since 2006.

“The new structure will create a strong, focused, agile Brien Holden Vision Institute and Foundation,” Davis said.

Davis and Waddell were both mentored by the late Brien Holden, Brien Holden, PhD, OAM, co-founder and former CEO of BHVI and aim to support the future of his legacy through the company’s restructuring, they said in the release. With individual efforts and business growth, Waddell and Davis will focus on strengthening the shared goals of BHVI, such as sustainability and expansion.

Layland said in the release that the new focus would be a “significant undertaking,” but that both businesses “will share a committed and clear vision.”

As CEO of the institute, Waddell will focus the research and development resources to meets the needs for new myopia products, according to the release. Additionally, Davis will spearhead public health efforts to combat the global burden of myopia as the foundation’s CEO.

“The good news is that with a collaborative approach and significant investment of resources, we can substantially impact the severity of the crisis,” Davis said in the release. “Development of new systems of management for myopia is really just a starting point. We need global investment and a coalition approach to meet the crisis.”