Peter Yeo Medal awarded to Henrietta Alderman

Former chief executive of the AOP, Henrietta Alderman, has been awarded the prestigious Peter Yeo Medal in recognition of “outstanding leadership and commitment to the AOP.”

The medal, which is the highest accolade awarded by the AOP, was presented to Alderman on Tuesday evening (6 June) during the Association’s annual Board and Council dinner.

Alderman was appointed chief executive of the AOP in 2013, holding the role until 2021.

During her eight years in post, she led the organisation through “significant change,” the AOP highlighted, including improving the effectiveness of its Council, Board and legal offer, alongside the development of unique sector services such as the 24-hour Peer Support Line.

Receiving the award, Alderman said: “Helping to shape the direction of the AOP, as such an important organisation for optometry, has been a deeply rewarding experience. I am incredibly proud to have been able to make a difference and now to witness what continues to be achieved through the dedication of colleagues and peers.

“It was a great privilege to work with the AOP’s Board, Council, and staff as well as bodies within the sector to deliver change and an outstanding level of support for members. I am immensely grateful to the AOP for the opportunity it gave me and for the many friendships too. To be awarded the Peter Yeo Medal is a perfect closing of a chapter and I am truly humbled to be given this recognition.”

Speaking about Alderman’s achievements, chief executive of the AOP, Adam Sampson, described her as “a real powerhouse.”

“Henrietta built a culture of excellence and member service,” Sampson said, adding: “Not just in the AOP but in the sector as a whole, and if the sector has flourished over the past decade – and it has – it was significantly because Henrietta made it so.”

On presenting the award, outgoing AOP chairman, Professor Julie Anne-Little, said the medal was “a mark of your enduring legacy.”

“It is a special recognition of your outstanding leadership and commitment to the AOP which saw the organisation go from strength to strength,” she added.

The Peter Yeo Medal is given in honour of Peter Yeo, a past chairman of the AOP.