Dame Mary Lesley Perkins, was born on 14 February 1944 and is an English billionaire who is the co-founder of Specsavers, the British retail optometry chain.
12 Facts About Mary Perkins
1.
2.
Together with her husband, co-founder and chairman Doug Perkins, Dame Mary has three children, all of whom work for Specsavers, and are eventually expected to take over the privately-owned company.
3.
Mary Perkins then went to Cardiff University to train as an optometrist.
4.
Mary and Doug Perkins established Specsavers in Guernsey in 1984.
5.
Dame Mary Perkins sits on the company board, oversees business development and has particular responsibility for running PR.
6.
Mary Perkins has admitted donning disguises and visiting Specsavers stores, posing as a customer.
7.
Mary Perkins was made an honorary fellow of Cardiff University in 2005.
8.
Mary Perkins was the first female optometrist in the UK to receive the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2007 for services to Business and to the community in Guernsey.
9.
Mary Perkins is a patron to leading children's charity Kidscape.
10.
In 2012 Mary Perkins was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business from Plymouth University.
11.
In October 2017, Dame Mary Perkins was honoured with an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year UK Lifetime Achievement Award for her continued contribution to entrepreneurship and the economy.
12.
Mary Perkins is a founding patron of the not-for-profit social enterprise Modern Muse.