Mary Perkins sold for £2 million in 1980, and continue to receive income from. After the sale the couple moved to Guernsey, where Mary's father had retired. Mary and Doug Perkins established Specsavers in Guernsey in 1984. In 2007 it was the largest privately owned opticians in the world, with nearly 900 stores across the UK and Europe. By 2011 the company had an annual turnover of £1.5bn and over 30,000 staff in markets in the UK, Europe and Australasia. Her current title at Specsavers is "founder". Dame Mary sits on the company board, oversees business development and has particular responsibility for
Lesley Rees Lesley Rees Dame Lesley Howard Rees DBE (born 17 November 1942) is a British professor, medical doctor, and endocrinologist. She was Dean of St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College (Bart’s) from 1989–95, the first and only woman to hold this post. Rees led the College to a successful merger with the London Hospital Medical College as part of Queen Mary University of London in 1995. She is currently Emeritus Professor of Chemical Endocrinology at Bart's. Rees was educated at Pate's Grammar School for Girls, Cheltenham. Rees studied at Bart’s and qualified in 1965. She went on to specialise in clinical endocrinology