Go West, Influencer Man (and Woman)—and 50 Who Did

“Go West, young man” is a phrase not lost on me, as a Young.

It was credited to American author and newspaper enthusiast Horace Greely, who encouraged those in Washington D.C. to get out of the swamp and expand America’s prospects westward.

My version of that was getting out of Washington (which I did in 2006) and heading East instead—to China—learning Mandarin and working for a state-owned magazine, notably without proper office trash cans. To each his or her own.

But this year’s seminal trip was westward, to Paris and Copenhagen in Europe, followed by Las Vegas in America.

Throughout this journey I was interested, as usual, in meeting the movers of our eye care field and exploring their impact on our global industry.

At this stage, it’s fascinating to be in my head’s cockpit, observing the actors on the global stage on a high level, often within just a few short moments spent with each, roaming conference halls. It’s quick, relevant work, and I don’t pretend to be a harborer of any special privilege to do this. I’m simply grateful to have found myself in a jacketed body that somehow keeps up with all these wonderful exchanges. Truly, the positive energy wave that I’m riding, largely because of you all, is better than ever. Surf’s up.

So let’s ride into who you are and what we explored together, however brief.

ESCRS 2025 Copenhagen

1. Dr. Filomena Ribeiro

Filomena closed out her last major show performance as ESCRS President with aplomb. Walking the show floor, I didn’t hear a single exhibitor complaint. Believe me, that’s rare. And of course, doctors were having the time of their professional lives.

After such a tremendous ESCRS in Vienna in 2023, I wasn’t sure how well ESCRS Barcelona and ESCRS Copenhagen would come off in comparison. They absolutely, truly shined.

ESCRS is at the very top of world ophthalmic shows, and it won’t be losing that accolade anytime soon, thanks to Filomena’s guidance. Bravo.

2. Dr. Burkhard Dick

Next year, rest assured, ESCRS London will be just as stunning as the latest round. Here’s my post with Burkhard on why I think that’s the case…

3. Dr. Morgan Micheletti

The backstory of our funky jacket high dive from a Copenhagen pier: I actually didn’t have a funky jacket made for Morgan quite yet. His jacket is in the works for AAO Orlando. But we pre-empted his entry into the Funky Jacket Club (FJC) by giving him a loaner. It was not the usual tailored fit, of course, but the dive was extraordinary. Nothing like it has ever happened at an ophthalmic conference. Here’s the full scoop…

4. Dr. Oliver Findl

My good friend and Immediate Past President of ESCRS is now on the Continued Council of Management. He also co-chaired the Executive Leadership Perspectives: Visions for the Next 5 Years panel at iNovation day, which included luminaries such as Peter Meziuso, Magnus Reibenspiess, Warren Foust, Ian Bell and others. An all-star line-up discussing leadership? This is the kind of top brass ESCRS puts together for the highest level of learning.

Surrounding that panel, Oliver also managed to pass me the skiing neck warmer I forgot at his house in Austria. I could hardly believe the thoughtfulness, but then I remembered, “Nope, that’s what good friends do.” Truly a gentleman of the highest caliber, though, denoted by a seemingly simple detail like this.

5. Team Teleon

Teleon provided some very helpful education during their booth talks at ESCRS. For example, one was called “Patient Communication—How to educate patients on the results they can expect? Limitations and required conditions for practices.”

I always thought such education was a real service to the field, because, unlike other industries, we won’t ever hear of a product classified as “the best.” Rather, it’s almost always implemented for certain patient demographics and attributes. Hence, education is key.

There were also impressive experiences showcased at the booth, such as, “FEMTIS 2025—10 years and over 1000 implants down the road,” by Dr. Detlef Holland. That’s quite a legacy. Well achieved!

6. Team Johnson & Johnson Vision

I have heard of the incredible success Johson & Johnson Vision has had in Australia over the past year with their latest IOLs. It’s not surprising under the leadership of Blake Thomas, who I met years ago in a Seoul hotel pool, hitting laps hard alongside APACRS.

Never doubt a swimmer’s work ethic. In fact, Blake, I know you’ll remember my butterfly, and I just managed 50 laps today, straight in a…well, a smaller hotel pool at 15 m. But still, that’s 750 m of straight butterfly with flip turns.

Is that an achievement worthy of Johnson & Johnson’s own success in the market? Not even close. But, it’s still something. Looking forward to the next swim!

7. Team SCHWIND

Really, the biggest thing to happen at Schwind recently is the entry of Lars Michael, after his longtime journey at OCULUS. My old time friend who lived in nearby Hong Kong was my comrade as I advanced business in the early days of Media MICE. He was always positive, and he was one of two people to show up at the first-ever Media MICE event: an Edward Snowden-themed spy suite (because why not?!). Those were very early days. But I’ll never forget his enthusiasm, and now I’m incredibly enthusiastic for his support at Schwind!

8. Dr. Ben LaHood

Ben earned my forever respect when he made Sir Harold Ridley come alive during a humorous back-and-forth discussion at UKISCRS last December in London, during the anniversary of Ridley’s IOL invention.

His social posts are phenomenal—really among the best in the industry. Funny but also thoughtful, and measured. Well worth following, as I do.

9. Team OCULUS

We had a great sit-down with the OCULUS team here at ESCRS and also caught up with Richard White.

Richard, by the way, is the ultimate experienced Asia-Pacific sales professional. Anytime we really want to understand the market, anytime we think of superior sales tactics, we think of Richard. He’s a veteran among veterans.

Kudos to the whole robust team at OCULUS. It was a pleasure to collaborate with you.

10. Team Glaukos

Somehow the vibes are always good with Glaukos. After I enjoyed a team dinner here, I showed up at the booth the next day, coincidentally in a jacket that meshed with the company’s colors.

Funny how little things in life like that hint at synergistic energies. There are some companies I know (for sure) where my jackets would stand out like a sore thumb. But here, I guess we’re all doing what we can to support interventional glaucoma, the future of eliminating glaucoma-related blindness. And that takes all kinds, including fortunately, a little bit of me.

Shout out to my buddy Roxana Davidoff, the industry-outsider turned insider, who graces us all with her presence!

11. Nick Smith

Nick, most recently of Sight Sciences, is always a breath of fun air. And so, I smirked when I saw his face in my ESCRS Charity Run photo. This cheeky fellow has been an industry veteran for as long as I can remember. Hence the greys on his head. The many greys (British spelling, of course). But seriously, I couldn’t recommend Nick highly enough for his professional yet delightfully light touch in advancing ophthalmic subjects.

12. Team Alcon and 13) Mr. Sheraz Daya

Alcon has been a powerhouse of product launches this year across the glaucoma, dry eye, cataract and vitreoretina spaces, and full congratulations go out to the entire team. It’s the kind of year that shows how capable Alcon is throughout ophthalmic subspecialties.

Here, we see Alcon CEO David Endicott, Seba Leoni and Leo Edward Otero, along with Mr. Sheraz Daya.

Sheraz really is a true gentleman ophthalmologist of London. I’ve said it before, but his treatment supporting an acid-victim media personality in the UK was just stunning. Nothing is ordinary about supporting vision as an ophthalmic surgeon in any instance. But Sheraz’s work is truly extraordinary, bar none, and I’ll never forget it.

14. Paula Ommerli-Weber

Paula is my longest-running STAAR Surgical contact, and the first to roll out the red carpet to us at Media MICE, as she did right before the COVID days of 2020. I’ll never forget her hospitality in Switzerland as colleague Robert Anderson and I stopped over for a visit. It was quite a casual visit, but Paula’s attention to receiving us revealed a lot about her lovely character, and years later, there was such a comfort as we began more collaborations in earnest. Sweet memories, truly. Thank you, Paula.

15. Dr. I. Paul Singh

If there is one doctor that is ubiquitous, it has to be Paul. His characteristic, amazed-smile-look in selfies—literally the world over—-is such a delight and really vibes with my energy, of course. So, whenever I see Paul, we have to do it.

It’s a pleasure to align on supporting things, like the most advanced versions of canaloplasty. Paul is the master in that regard, but to me, he’s just a vibe.

16. Andreas Kuhnel

I enjoyed having a bit of fun with Andreas. He was deep inside a VR device, and I decided to sneak up and get a selfie with him without him knowing it! Cheeky me. Ruck is marketing their new Ruck Qube Pro phacoemulsification device. Looks cool!

17. Team Iraq

One of the things I enjoy about my job is being approached by Media MICE fans from all over the world. And apparently, we have a following in Iraq. I got stopped for selfies by these three ophthalmologists while walking into the conference venue. So honored!

18. Artemis Matsou

It was great seeing Artemis once again, after our meeting in Greece this year at Winter ESCRS. Artemis was crucial in the planning of our Athens City Experience, which had to go indoors due to Greek protests outside. In fact, I was happy to make it to ESCRS Copenhagen from EURETINA Paris, as the French were protesting and planning to shut down the airport. When in Rome…Paris or Athens…I suppose, protest!

19. Nikolina Budimlija

I was thrilled earlier this year when Nikolina agreed to cover the WOS 2025 meeting for us in Switzerland. We are seemingly everywhere at Media MICE, but we can’t actually be everywhere. And so, ophthalmologist friends have begun covering events for us, and it’s always great to see their contributions.

Here is Nikolina’s once more: https://cakemagazine.org/wos-2025-a-spectacle-of-science-surgery-and-swiss-charm/

20. Dr. Sheetal Brar

Sheetal has moved on from Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital and is now working at Prosight Eye Hospital in Chandigarh, the same area my colleague Ruchi Ranga lives in. The hospital website describes her as the “SMILE Queen of India,” which is absolutely true. It’s hard to think of SMILE without Sheetal and vice versa. She has performed a momentous body of work in support of the procedure, and, not only India, but the world is better off because of it. Kudos!

21. Team Rayner

The Rayner folks, along with their collaborators at HASA OPTIX, always throw the best conference parties. This time, I really have to commend them, as it was so fantastic, I ended up dancing on the tables with my UK ophthalmic bestie Dr. Radhika Rampat! It helps that Rayner has stunning technology, like the RayOne Galaxy IOL, but I’d come to the parties regardless. So as far as I’m concerned, Tim Brown and Anne Nestor, you’re working harder than you need to….

22. Dr. Allon Barsam

Allon had the brilliant idea of switching jackets for a moment at the Rayner booth. His comment? “I look like a small child.” You’re not wrong, Allon. But I look like I’m in need of some critical tailoring in your jacket.

Meanwhile, I don’t know why I’m ribbing Allon, because he actually gave me the best compliment of the show. As we crossed paths in our respective groups outside the convention center, he said to me, “Do you know you’re the voice of international ophthalmology media?”

I didn’t quite know what to say. I’m sure I looked like the time I accidentally swallowed a horse fly on the show floor of RANZCO in Melbourne. Just stupefied.

There, I ribbed myself, Allon. But thank you for the compliment.

23. Dr. Arun Gulani

Arun believed in Media MICE long before many others did. He gave me encouragement every single early show that we were at together. And so, he also has interesting perspectives on future growth. Arun made a fascinating point about enabling doctors to come along with us on our fun adventures at Media MICE, providing engaging ophthalmic tours. I loved his perspective on this, but I’m not sure I’m ready to turn the fun side of who we are into business just yet. Rather, I’ll keep extending invites to our conference side adventures when I can. Most importantly, we’ll all keep the good times rolling!

24. Dr. Radhika Rampat

Radhika and her teammates won the YOFS (Young Ophthalmologists For Sustainability) Award.

In fact, the award came with a lovely message from the award artist:

“This is a unique piece of Art. An award made out of medical ‘waste.’ You see a blue sculpture, uniquely modeled with medical packaging (from tubing sets / phaco packs). The sculpture contains ‘leftovers’: These are unused and discarded items after opening cataract surgery procedure trays. You see syringes, needles, cannulas, slit knives, eye shields, sponges. Every day they are wasted by the thousands of them.

The Message is: please consider what you need for surgery or treatment. Try to perform treatments while using as few materials as possible. Less is More Sustainable!!

You, brave owner of the Award, Mother Earth is grateful to you. Wish you lots of love.”

Beautifully won, and beautifully said!

25. Dr. Cristina Hubert

Every ESCRS, Cristina and her friends cycle long and hard. They wrapped up 50 km this year in Denmark, which is just such an accomplishment. My associate Heidi Trinh, here, also is a cyclist and was quite intrigued by next year’s cycling event that will happen alongside ESCRS in London. Good athletic times ahead!

26. Team ZEISS

ZEISS always has a lot going on, whether it’s at the show or not. Prior to, we got a news release from Renae Cazet that was intriguing: “ZEISS Medical Technology today announced CE mark approval for CIRRUS® PathFinder™, an innovative clinical support tool with artificial intelligence (AI) fully integrated to enable more confident decision-making and accelerate a clinician’s workflow with OCT interpretation assistance. ZEISS CIRRUS PathFinder uses proprietary deep learning algorithms to automatically identify abnormal macular OCT B-scans as a licensed element of a new CIRRUS software release, that also provides AI-enhanced OCTA image quality and multi-layer segmentation, helping to improve a practice’s workflow efficiency and patient care.”

AI truly has entered the mainstream and will continue to make waves.

27. Dr. Tanya Trinh

Tanya, certainly a prime example of an empowered woman in ophthalmology, nonetheless made the case for men during ESCRS.

“When men are deliberately engaged in inclusion efforts, 96% of organizations see progress (vs. only 30% when men aren’t),” she presented. “Without men—often key decision makers—pregress on gender equality stalls.”

While we’ve heard about the importance of both genders in Ophthalmic World Leaders (OWL) over the years, these statistics provided a fresh perspective on the importance of both in instituting such change.

28. Purvi Thomson

Purvi is the lead optometrist at OCL Vision, and she’s also a member of our COOKIE Magazine Advisory Board.

Recently she posted a touching tale:

“‘Tomorrow, it’s 25 years since you went to do optics.’ That was the WhatsApp my mum just sent me,” she wrote. “25 years ago, I packed my bags for Aston University. I still remember that day so clearly: nervous, excited and a bit tearful as I walked into Stafford Tower and into a new chapter! Since then, I’ve had the chance to experience a fair amount of our profession: starting at Specsavers, running my uncle’s independent community practice, moving into private ophthalmology, spending time in the NHS hospital eye service, and now developing my role at OCL Vision. Not every part of my journey has been successful, but the experience has been priceless.”

We at COOKIE are so glad you took that first step 25 years ago, Purvi. All the very best for the next 25 and beyond!

29. Erik Jan Worst

He’s not just an owner. He’s also a user. Back in 2019, Ophtec CEO Erik Jan Worst had cataracts and used reading glasses all the time. He opted for cataract surgery and had Ophtec’s Precizon Presbyopic NVA IOL implanted. It’s a rare case where a company owner is especially invested in the technology. Well, Erik was looking great here, and I wish him and Opthec all the best.

30. Thiruvengadam Subramanian

I knew Thiru for many years at Alcon, and we became friends. Since he’s moved to Appasamy, the company is in strong, capable hands. Now invested by Warburg Pincus, Appasamy Associates is making moves in India and abroad like no other company I know. The energy and advancements there are amazing, and I’m looking forward to seeing more progress.

31. James Mun

I met James at an IIIC (International Intra-Ocular Implant Club) dinner alongside ESCRS. It was great seeing him and Maaza Martin there, as we were regaled with tales of the inner workings of ophthalmology by this prestigious club.

32. Dr. Ashraf Armia

Ashraf noted that his co-authored book, Keratoconus: Current and Future State-of-the-Art, has now sold 10,000+ copies as of ESCRS.

It seems that a purchase by Dr. Alice Daniela Polonic from Romania helped put the copies over the 10K mark.

Congrats, Ashraf!

33. Benedikt Brustmann

The very gracious Benedikt gifted a pair of Brumaba sunglasses and ice makers to our team, and it really was a sweet gesture.

Brumaba is celebrating 45 years in business, and I enjoyed posing here. Being 45 years old myself, I can kind of relate to how old (and successful) this is…ha!

34. Lennart Hans

Sebastian Gebauer of Melag cordially invited me to his ESCRS booth, but when I got there, I met his welcoming colleague instead.

Lennart Hans was the perfect gentleman.

The MELAG System Solution introduces autoclaves, from large to small, washer-disinfectors, sealing devices and more.

35. Polly Chen

Microclear is holding an imaging competition (from August to October). “See Microclear, See Full Vision” is the name of the event and involves full-eye imaging cases.

Get in touch with marketing@microclear.com to submit your images captured on Microclear devices.

Great initiative, Polly!

36. Erik Bror Bonn

Erik is firmly now in the Funky Jacket Club (FJC), and he’s also apparently in the Strong Guy Club (SGC), here carrying my colleague Sven Mehlitz at our booth.

This is a pose we re-enacted from ASCRS earlier this year. Erik was so pleased to receive a jacket he lifted Sven up just like this.

Now every show, we may have to make sure Erik’s health and vitality are still in order, and so I think a similar test is a must at AAO. Good times again, Erik and Sven!

MST, meanwhile, continues to enjoy a distribution partnership with Mani Inc. of Japan. All the best for that!

37. The Rajans

Drs. Sujatha Mohan and Mohan Rajan are a wife-and-husband ophthalmologist duo that I’ve been friends with for years. I so enjoy their company when I see them as they are always in great spirits and clearly supportive of one another.

While I see other such teams now—namely people like David and Lena Beckers—these guys are the original pair that I knew who did it well. Congratulations on such a long and fantastic partnership!

38. Team ArtiaCo

Bernie Ursell, Neil Hanley and Robby Palmer have thrown in together to form ArtiaCo, which aims to build the future of strategic advocacy and KOL engagement in the pharma and medical technology industries.

It’s great to see a new business in the space, and these three veterans lend a lot of credibility to the expertise they now offer.

It’d be wise to give them a call. Congrats, guys!

39. Dr. David Lockington

David continues to be the UKISCRS President, and exciting times are ahead. The 49th Annual Congress takes place November 12-14.

Prof. Robert Rejdak of Poland, who has been instrumental in supporting ophthalmic work in Ukraine, is giving The Ridley Eye Foundation Award Lecture.

It’s titled: “Transforming ophthalmic care in times of crisis—The role of advanced technologies, telemedicine and international collaboration.” It should be a fascinating talk, indeed.

Be sure to consider attending UKISCRS as this is one regional event that has proven it delivers the highest level content on a world stage.

40. Team EyeYon Medical

EyeYon had, perhaps, the most surprising booth of ESCRS, in my opinion. While only having recently commercialized, EyeYon’s presence was stunning.

The company spearheads EndoArt, the first synthetic implant for corneal edema, which is a real alternative to traditional corneal transplants.

The Hyper-CL Therapeutic Soft Contact Lens also “is the market’s first ocular drug depot system in the form of a non-invasive, comfortable and easy-to-use contact lens,” according to the company. Congrats, EyeYon!

Vision Expo West 2025

41. Nancy Lebosquain

Newton had some fascinating technology on hand. They are providing therapeutic lenses for “life-changing relief from the symptoms of eye-misalignment,” according to the company.

While this involved relief from headaches, neck and shoulder pain, dry eye, light sensitivity and eye strain, the one that most interested me was motion sickness.

That’s because many people in Vietnam suffer from motion sickness, as they are not used to riding in vehicles as much as on motorbikes. Hence, I see great prospects for this technology in Southeast Asia. Looking forward to more updates from Nancy!

42. Alberto Gonzalez

Olleyes is introducing The HearAll, a VR hearing platform. The device is intended to “screen, diagnose and provide hearing care in one simple flow,” according to the company.

Alberto is really excited about the tech, as he should be. It’s definitely something new among the portable, affordable diagnostics we know within our field.

Of course, Olleyes still provides the VisuALL VRP for easy vision testing. Cool stuff!

43. Armond Dantino

Armond and I keep circling each other around the globe. We just left off at EURETINA Paris, and then we saw each other again at Vision Expo West in Vegas.

I enjoy hearing about Armond’s travels to Italy—one place I still would like to spend more time visiting.

Armond is President, Canada & LATAM, for Topcon Healthcare.

Topcon Healthcare, meanwhile, is driving forward The Alliance for Healthcare from the Eye, which is working to expand access to affordable healthcare and improve clinical outcomes through adopting oculomics in real-world practice. Kudos!

44. Team Optos

Optos is promoting the only 200° single-shot ultra-widefield retinal image.

“Our UWF, high-resolution retinal imaging devices each image more than 80% or 200˚ of the retina in a single shot,” according to the company website.

That’s quite significant, and I’m glad to see an old friend, Lon Dowell, at Optos supporting such efforts. Sharon Shepard and Cassy Dump (an external PR supporter) continue to do their best as veteran supporters of Optos as well. Congrats, team.

45. Team Advancing Eyecare

After having Kristen Tischler as a friend for some time on Linkedin, it was great finally meeting her team in Las Vegas. Advancing Eyecare actually has a range of companies under its umbrella, including the very well-known Marco, a leader in exam lane equipment and automation refraction systems, dry eye technology and diagnostic devices. S4Optik is another company under the Advancing Eyecare umbrella, which has modern, high-end diagnostic equipment at affordable prices. Lots of moving & shaking at this company!

46. Dr. Kristie Nguyen

Kristie is always a breath of fresh optometric air. And I learned more of the back story behind her amazing hair. Read all about it here:

47. Team Visionix

It was lovely meeting up with Ciara Guglielmi and Rachel Brugoto of Visionix. We also quite enjoy our working relationship with the French side of the team, who are very active in Europe and elsewhere globally. Lionel Iribarne, my friend, I’m thinking of you! Meanwhile, Visionix calls what they do “next generation imaging from cornea to choroid.” That’s a nice turn of phrase. I like!

48. Team Fundingsland

Brad Fundingsland and team embody the communication style that is easiest in eye care conferencing: don’t call, don’t write…we’ll just connect, obviously, at the next conference. Because Brad & team are everywhere. And it’s a pleasure to see them so active. Next up: AAO Orlando!

49. Dr. Glenda Aleman

Glenda is a lovely and fashionable optometrist who is a good LinkedIn friend, but we met in-person for the first time at Vision Expo West. I love LinkedIn, but I love live meetings even more. They really allow us to connect in ways that are absolutely essential to the human experience. So glad to meet you Glenda! You’re a treasure!

50. Brent Jones

Brent really makes the rounds. We saw him at Vision Expo West, and then Academy 2025 in Boston just a couple weeks later. He’s a real go-getter as an executive at Hilco Vision, but also came up in the field through humble beginnings. This is the kind of person I really like. Empowered, dedicated and yet, they’ve seen it all—and I believe view things with an attitude of service—because they’ve worked in so many of the positions in the field, lower to higher. Congrats on your success, Brent, and for keeping it real!

Well m’eye friends, we’re in the final stretch of the year for these show influencers and round-ups. There might be one or two left—and certainly AAO Orlando is coming up—but we are starting to wind down the year.

It’s been a massive 2025. Congrats on all the successes, and even setbacks, as those will come. But as we all forge ahead with friendship and positive energy, we’ll surely look forward to a bigger and brighter 2026.

In the meantime, it’s still…showtime!