Luxottica has welcomed 85 optometry graduates from Australia and New Zealand to its organisation, with a two day ‘Eyelaunch’ comprising lectures, interactive workshops and a celebratory harbour cruise.
Eighty three of the 85 graduates who have joined OPSM and Laubman & Pank this year, gathered in Sydney in early February to discover more about the organisation and acquire vital skills for day to day practice.
When you find yourself one on one with a patient in a consult room you can feel the weight of responsibility, so the aim was to reinforce the fact that they’re part of a bigger team
Peter Murphy, director of eyecare and community at Luxottica said it was exciting to see the graduates come together for the first time.
“They come to us with great academic qualifications and clinical skills so the induction program aims to introduce graduates to the culture and values of both OPSM and Laubman & Pank, to the technology we use, and our global brands and lens products which differentiate us from the competition. They were really excited to hear about the existing frames and lenses,” said Mr Murphy.
Alfonso Cerullo, Luxottica’s general manager of optical retail (ANZ) spoke about the company’s optical strategy for 2019 before Milena Cavicchioli, Luxottica’s vice president of marketing, spoke about marketing, as well as the company’s values culture.
“The transition from university to practice can be challenging. When you find yourself one on one with a patient in a consult room you can feel the weight of responsibility, so the aim was to reinforce the fact that they’re part of a bigger team,” said Mr Murphy. “Within the practice there is a support network and mentoring. Beyond that, Luxottica also offers support, mentoring and a raft of career opportunities.
“We also provided training on customer engagement when it comes to discussing the equipment we use during eye examinations and the life changing impact that contact lenses can have. So the focus was on making these technologies accessible to the customer through clear communication.”
Light hearted quizzes, lectures, and interactive workshops were interspersed with short presentations from Luxottica optometrists in their first two to five years of practice. Jacqueline Henwood, who graduated from Melbourne University 12 months ago and works at Civic OPSM in Canberra, spoke about her transition into the workplace; Melissa Thomson who graduated five years ago and now works as an eye care manager in New Zealand, spoke about her career journey; as did James Drakos who is an area eye care manager in Queensland.
A Sydney Harbour cruise at the end of the program’s first day provided an opportunity for the young Luxottica optometrists to let their hair down.
“The cruise was Ray-Ban themed so everyone was encouraged to dress as a film character who wears Ray Ban eyewear. With the likes of James Dean and Audrey Hepburn on board it was guaranteed to be great fun right from the start,” Mr Murphy said.
The graduates have now commenced their first year in practices across Australia and New Zealand.
