Carla Mack, OD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA, head, global and US professional education and development at Alcon, and Kristin Anderson, OD, FNAP, FAAO, director of professional education and development, US Vision Care, discuss leadership journeys and lessons. Dr. Mack reflects on her time at The Ohio State University, highlighting continuous learning and curiosity as essential. She emphasizes developing concise communication—executive summaries rather than exhaustive narratives—to bring stakeholders along effectively. Dr. Mack stresses proactively building relationships before needing them to ease collaboration and conflict resolution. Throughout roles from academia to industry, she maintains a relentless focus on patient and customer experience, adapting to different definitions of “customer” across functions.
Dr. Mack’s return to earn an executive MBA mid-career gave her business foundations and confidence to pursue corporate and global roles. The MBA taught her to be comfortable with discomfort, value cross-functional teams and deliberately include diverse perspectives. She learned to evaluate projects by expected impact and return on investment, prioritizing strategies that deliver meaningful results and allocating resources accordingly. These business principles translate across environments—clinical practice, academia, or industry, she says.
Inevitably, new responsibilities drive a need for new training. Technological and practice changes demand continual adaptation; practitioners who embrace learning better meet evolving patient needs. As Dr. Anderson notes, optometry students are reminded that learning continues after school, and professionals who evolve alongside the field are more successful.
The conversation affirms that transferable skills, intentional relationship-building, clear communication, diverse teams and a patient-centered focus underpin effective leadership across sectors. Both guests leave listeners with practical leadership insights for careers in clinical, academic or corporate settings.
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