Specsavers has appointed a new member to its Dispensing Advancement Team as it ramps up its professional development program.
Katie Philp has joined the team as Dispensing Advancement Manager, working with Head of Dispensing Advancement Richard Couch.
She initially joined Specsavers in 2011 to help the Product Team launch online contact lens ordering, but later accepted a position in the Professional Development Team, where she ran the Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing program. Over the years, the scope of her responsibilities expanded and changed to include managing clinical placements for Australian and New Zealand universities as well as graduate recruitment across several states.
Her new role sees a return to the Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing program, which she will oversee and continue to improve. More broadly, she will be working to advance dispensing excellence within Specsavers, with a focus on the long-term engagement and continued education and career development of Specsavers dispensers beyond the point of qualification.
Katie says, “I’m looking forward to ensuring that all Specsavers dispensers see a clear future pathway and have the opportunity to develop and thrive to ensure we are delivering the best customer service possible. We have big plans for the future.”
Katie’s appointment follows Specsavers’ announcement that it will be offering even more professional development opportunities to dispensers.
During the 2017 Specsavers Partnership Seminar in early March, it was revealed the Dispensing Advancement Team would be working with reputed training providers to further build on its existing career development program. Later this year, a CPD program for all qualified dispensers will be launched in both New Zealand and Australia via a series of dispensing conferences. Specsavers’ in-store virtual dispensing technology will also receive a significant upgrade.
