Meet the Silmo academy by IOA speaker: Stuart Burn

The SILMO Academy by IOA will be taking place on 30 September and 1 October in Paris. Stuart Burn will be speaking about What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur?

After 20 years in banking and finance, Stuart established Performance Finance Ltd in 2005.

It is a UK based funder specialising with opticians, dentists and solicitors. He believes that concentrating on just 3 disciplines allows for a greater understanding of these markets which in turn allows funding to become more dynamic, more suitable, and more competitive for clients, hence the name.

In 2013, Stuart joined the Board of the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians (FMO), the UK’s optical trade association. In 2020, he became the Chairman just as COVID 19 took hold of everyone’s attention.

Against a backdrop of the association making losses for nearly a decade, located in an expensive building, losing members and running a loss making exhibition, he had to move quickly to secure the associations future.

All whilst running his own business which halved in size due to the pandemic.

With the help of a very supportive Board, Stuart, sold the building, merged the exhibition with its then rival 100% Optical and changed the name of the FMO to the Optical Suppliers Association (OSA). Within 12 months the OSA became profitable, cash rich and grew membership. It also provided the platform for the UK to have a large single UK Conference and Exhibition for the optical world to support and rally behind.

3 years on, the OSA is thriving, it continues to increase membership, increase profitability and provide more support to its members. Stuart is particularly proud that the OSA has since been able to donate £1,000’s each year to optical charities. In recognition, the OSA awarded Stuart, Honorary Life Membership.

In 2019, Stuart became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, becoming a Liveryman this year.

Find out more about SILMO Academy my IOA here