“Sight is so precious,” says Thomas Frinzi, co-chair of the Beyond Blindness Ophthalmic Advisory Board. “If you start with that premise, you realize how critical it is to help young people and their families manage the impact of visual impairments as Beyond Blindness does.”
As the former Worldwide President, Surgical, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Tom has spent his career helping people see. His decades of experience working at ophthalmic and medical device companies includes leadership roles with Abbott Medical Optics (acquired by Johnson & Johnson) and WaveTec Vision, and numerous industry awards for innovation and achievement. Retired in 2019 after 40 years working in the medical device field with a keen focus in ophthalmology, he remains a member of several boards of directors in the eye space, including STAAR Surgical.
Six years ago, while working at Abbott Medical Optics, he first learned about Beyond Blindness when a group of students visited his office to sing Christmas carols. Meeting the children and their parents struck a chord with Tom, and each year became more meaningful as he met more students during the annual holiday event. Once retired, Tom was contacted by Beyond Blindness board member Raymond Kong to become a co-chair of the Ophthalmic Advisory Board.
In this role, Tom uses his passion for Beyond Blindness to engage other industry leaders. He has introduced numerous colleagues to the organization who now sit on the Ophthalmic Advisory Board, representing companies including STAAR Surgical, Glaukos, and Johnson & Johnson. He continues to advocate for Beyond Blindness among those working in the Orange County vision industry, encouraging referrals and collaboration as part of their patients’ journeys.
“Beyond Blindness is there for the entire family unit and ecosystem of the child, Tom says. “This is an unbelievable resource that is ready, willing, and able to provide world-class support.”