PES Appoints New Chair to the Board

17 May 2022

Primary Eyecare Services (PES) is pleased to announce the appointment of our new chair of the board, Rt Hon Dame Janet Paraskeva, DBE.

Dame Janet replaces Mike Fegan who recently retired.

Dame Janet is the former Chief Executive of the Law Society and has extensive experience of regulation and of leading high-profile national Boards and organisations. Dame Janet was First Civil Service Commissioner in 2006, with the responsibility of developing an effective and impartial Civil Service.

Her former posts also include being a non-executive director of Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency and she is currently chair of the Council for Licensed Conveyancers in England and Wales, the Appointments Commission for the states of Jersey, and the Standards and Regulation Board for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Dame Janet was made a Privy Councillor to assist in her role as a member of the Detainee Inquiry established by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010.

She holds an honorary degree (Doctor of Laws) from the University of Leicester.

PES Chief Executive, Dharmesh Patel, said:

“It is with delight we welcome Dame Janet Paraskeva to the organisation, to lead the board and organisation through this exciting next phase of development and growth. Dame Janet has extensive experience in leading organisations across a variety of sectors and we look forward to benefiting from her strong leadership.”

Dame Janet Paraskeva said:

“I am looking forward to supporting the organisation in its objectives to facilitate improved patient care and experience through the greater use of optometry practices for the delivery of NHS extended eye care services. I am very encouraged by the rapid development and evolution of PES to date and believe the net phase is a critical one for PES and Optometry more widely.”