Mike Ball
Division Head and CEO, Alcon
What initiatives is Alcon involved in to support ophthalmologists in the early stages of their career?
We host comprehensive educational programs around the world, including at the Alcon Customer Experience Center. The Center offers an immersive training environment, complete with exam lanes and enhanced wet labs, for both new and experienced practitioners. In addition, our Hospital Account Managers work with residents and attending physicians to educate and train future ophthalmologists, and we also partner with the
ASCRS YES program to provide unrestricted educational grants to help train new surgeons.
What importance does Alcon place on working with early-stage career ophthalmologists?
As an industry leader, we recognize that our dedication to improving patients’ lives through innovation can only be realized through our long-term partnerships with our customers. These relationships often begin at the early stages of their medical journeys. We aim to serve as a trusted partner for doctors throughout their careers because their insights are critical in shaping our strategy and product pipeline.
What impact will tomorrow’s leaders have on the future of ophthalmology?
Tomorrow’s leaders are key in helping us identify the industry’s unmet needs. Working closely with Alcon development teams, these individuals help advance unmet needs through product ideation and development, with the potential to see their contributions come to life in the operating theater in the future. This partnership is critical to the improvement of patient outcomes and quality of life through innovation.
What characteristics make an ophthalmologist one of tomorrow’s leaders?
An unwavering goal of raising the bar in patient outcomes, with the initiative to continually improve one’s skill sets through innovation and new techniques, is critical. For instance, patient expectations continue to evolve as people now live their lives on mobile devices. Adoption of advanced IOL technologies will be a necessity for many practices. As patients evolve, industry and surgeons must also evolve.
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