Our Team
Craig McArthur
Optometrist /Managing Director
BSc (Hons) Optom, MCOptom,
MOptScot, MBCLA
BSc (Hons) Optom, MCOptom, MOptScot, MBCLA, Optometrist /Managing Director
Craig is a practicing optometrist and owner of Peter Ivins Eye Care in Bearsden. He started his career in optics in 2003 working for Peter at Black and Lizars on Buchanan Street. He graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2007, embarking on his post graduate training with Black Lizars in Milngavie. He completed his training and became a member of the College of Optometrists in 2008. He worked as an optometrist with Black and Lizars from 2008 to 2010. In 2010 he joined Peter at Peter Ivins Eye Care. In 2017 he became a director of Peter Ivins Eye Care and in 2023 became the owner and managing director of Peter Ivins Eye Care.
He is a clinical advisor and consultant to a number of companies within the optometric industry. Craig is a regular contributor to industry magazines Optician and Optometry Today having published numerous articles on a variety of topics including Myopia Management in children, glaucoma management, diagnostic imaging techniques, screening for macular disease, specialist contact lens fitting, ocular surface disease, dry eye and blepharitis.
Craig lectures extensively throughout the UK, Europe and further afield on a variety of subjects including myopia management, dry eye management, specialist contact lenses fitting, optical coherence tomography, macular screening techniques, and use of cutting-edge technology in optometry. He performs a role of key opinion leader within the optometric industry providing expertise and insight to many companies and manufacturers.
In 2008 Craig developed a nationwide macular screening programme for Scotland's largest independent optical chain, the first of its kind in the UK, during which he experienced over 1000 patient episodes in the specialist macular screening clinic. In 2013 Craig launched Scotland’s first dedicated Myopia Management clinic within Peter Ivins Eye Care. The clinic specialises in the early diagnosis of myopia in children and how best to slow myopia progression. In 2024 Craig launched Scotland first Valeda Photo-biomodulation Clinic for the treatment of Dry Macular Disease.
He is a consultant with Purple Ivy, a bespoke business consultancy, where he offers guidance and advice into integrated practice management systems, website design, use of social media and business intelligence solutions. He is a previous clinical tutor to 4th year undergraduate students from Glasgow Caledonian University's optometry programme, where he is also a visiting lecturer. He is also a tutor as part of the University of New South Wales Preceptorship Program.
Craig is a member of The College of Optometrists, Association of Optometrists, British Contact Lens Association and Optometry Scotland.
Craig is also a former professional musician performing with The Tatties, a Scottish ceilidh band, Sugarush a popular function band and Vinyl Future, a progressive rock band. Craig and his wife Jennifer were married near Rome, Italy in September 2012.
The couple have one son, Noah, born in July 2017; and one daughter Isabella Ann born in January 2024.
Hayley Smith
Optometrist
BSc (Hons) Optom, MCOptom
Hayley Smith BSc(Hons) Optom, MCOptom
Hayley Smith is a practicing optometrist, working full-time as a resident optometrist at Peter Ivins Eye Care. Hayley joined Craig and Peter during a week’s work experience in 2018 whilst at school. She made such an impression she was offered a part-time job, joining the team as a clinical assistant in 2019.
Hayley started her optometry training at Glasgow Caledonian University in 2019, working part-time throughout her undergraduate years with Peter Ivins Eye Care. She graduated in 2023 with first-class honours, having won the award for her year. Hayley then embarked on her post-graduate training year at Peter Ivins Eye Care, joining the team full-time as a graduate optometrist, supervised by Craig McArthur, Peter Ivins, Jillian Forrie, and Jennifer McArthur. She graduated in record time as an optometrist in July 2024. She then joined the team at Peter Ivins Eye Care as a full-time resident optometrist.
Hayley has a specialist interest in contact lens fitting for keratoconus, including custom-made soft contact lenses, RGP lenses, hybrid lenses, and scleral contact lenses. She is also an expert in myopia management and Orthokeratology lenses. Hayley operates a visual stress clinic for children and adults suffering from Mears-Irlen Syndrome.
Peter Ivins
Optometrist
BSc Optom, DipTP (IP)
Peter Ivins BSc Optom, DipTP (IP), Optometrist
Peter practices fulltime within Peter Ivins Eye Care in Bearsden, offering a range of specialist services including ocular therapeutics, specialist contact lens and dry eye management clinics. Peter is considered a global key opinion leader in the contact lens industry, having been part of a team working on the first soft disposable contact lens. He is part of the teaching faculty at the Johnson and Johnson's Vision Care Institute where he lectures on a variety of subjects to optometrists, opticians and clinical staff from around the UK. He has and continues to lecture extensively in the UK, USA, Australia, China, South Africa and Europe on various subjects including contact lenses, vision in sport and business management. Peter was one of the first in the UK to qualify as an independent prescribing optometrist, meaning he can manage and prescribe medicines for a vast array of eye conditions.
He is consultant with Purple Ivy a company offering business as well as clinical skills advice to both independent and multiple opticians.
Peter has lived in Bearsden for over 40 years and is the father of four children and grandfather to three. He is a keen golfer and has maintained a single figure handicap for over thirty years.
Previous roles:
- Glaucoma Optometrist, Glasgow Southern General: 2010
- Clinical Director Black & Lizars: 2008 - 2009
- CEO Black & Lizars: 1999 - 2008
- Part time lecturer Caledonian University: 1980 - 1986.
- Sole UK sports vision consultant at Barcelona and Lillehammer Olympics Games: 1984 & 1986
- Former Chairman of Scottish Contact Lens Society
Rishpal Panesar
Optometrist
BSc (Hons) Optom, DipTP (IP)
Rishi Panesar BSc (Hons) Optom, DipTP (IP), Optometrist
Rishi works part-time at Peter Ivins Eye Care having joined the team in 2020. He graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2012 with 1st class honours and qualified as an optometrist fowling his post-graduate training in 2013. He worked for a large multiple for 3 years during which time her undertook his Independent prescribing qualification becoming IP qualified in 2016. In 2017 Rishi joined Black and Lizars as the resident optometrist in the Milngavie branch. During this time he was selected to take part in a 2 year Alcon Scholarship (2018/19), an international educations program providing further professional development, working alongside a small group of like-minded optometrist from across the UK and Europe.
Rishi has a keen interest in travelling, having travelled extensively across Europe and South East Asia. Most evenings Rishi spends in the gym doing a variety of functional fitness workouts and more recently Muay Thai martial arts.
Asim Sheikh
Optometrist
BSc (Hons) Optom, MBA
Asim Sheikh BSc (Hons) Optom, MBA, Optometrist
Asim is based part-time at Peter Ivins Eye Care. He is a practicing optometrist with over a decades experience with Black and Lizars. During that time he practised with Peter and Craig as a specialist optometrist and was an accredited practitioner as part of the Glasgow’s’ Integrated Eye Care Service (GIES) shared care scheme. He was also a Pre-Registration supervisor to numerous graduate optometrists.
Asim is a graduate of Glasgow Caledonian University, having studied and graduated alongside Craig. He is currently studying towards a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) at Strathclyde University. He has also contributed to many CET articles for a variety of companies and lectures to optometrists and opticians throughout the UK on a variety of topics. Asim splits his time between Peter Ivins Eye Care, his role as Clinical Trainer with Zeiss and his MBA studies. He has a special interest in specialist contact lens fitting, optical coherence tomography and advancements in clinical diagnostic technology.
Asim married his wife Sumara in 2010. He is a single figure handicap golfer and was a groomsman at Craig’s wedding in 2012.
Jacqueline Kelly
Practice Manager
Jennifer McArthur
Dispensing Optician
BSc (Hons) Dispensing Optics, FBDO
Jennifer McArthur BSc (Hons) Dispensing Optics, FBDO, Dispensing Optician
Jennifer started working in optics in 2001 working as an optical assistant whilst studying towards her undergraduate degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing at Glasgow Caledonian University. Jennifer graduated from university in 2005, embarked upon her graduate year in 2006 and completed her post-graduate diploma becoming a Fellow of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians in 2007. After fully qualifying as a dispensing optician she then worked as a dispensing optician for Optical Express before moving to Black and Lizars in late 2007.
After 2 years with Black and Lizars in Giffnock she was promoted to Assistant Manager of the Milngavie practice. In 2010 Jennifer moved back to Optical Express as store manager of the Bearsden and Milngavie branches where she worked until 2015.
Jennifer joined Peter Ivins Eye Care in 2015. Jennifer has a special interest in bespoke custom-made frame fitting (Tom Davies, Silhouette, and Lindberg), specialist paediatric and modified children’s frame fitting and customised varifocal lens design. She has vast experience in low visual aid assessment for the visually impaired.
Jennifer was married to our optometrist Craig McArthur in 2012 in a wedding ceremony in Rome, Italy. The couple have one son, Noah McArthur born July 2017, and one daughter Isabella Ann McArthur in January 2024.
Qualifications
| 2003 – 2006 | Completed Undergraduate Degree, BSc Ophthalmic Dispensing, Glasgow Caledonian University |
| 2007 – present | Completed Postgraduate Diploma – FBDO |
| 2007 – present | Fellow of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians |
| 2007 – present | Member of General Optical Council |
Previous Roles
| 2010 – 2015 | Store Manager / Dispensing Optician – Optical Express, Milngavie & Bearsden |
| 2009 – 2010 | Assistant Manager/Dispensing Optician – Black and Lizars, Milngavie |
| 2007 – 2009 | Dispensing Optician – Black and Lizars, Giffnock |
| 2006 – 2007 | Dispensing Optician – Optical Express |
| 2005 – 2006 | Graduate Dispensing Optician – Optical Express |
| 2001 – 2004 | Optical Assistant – Optical Express |
Jillian Forrie
Dispensing Optician
BSc (Hons) Dispensing Optics, FBDO
Jillian Forrie BSc (Hons) Dispensing Optics, FBDO
Jillian practices fulltime within Peter Ivins Eye Care offering a range of specialist services including bespoke made-to-measure frames and custom-made individually tailored spectacles lenses. Jillian has a passion for perfect spectacle frame fitting, which she feels particularly important in children's spectacles. Jillian also has an interest in Low Vision Aid Assessments and diagnostic imaging techniques including Optical Coherence Tomography, ultra-widefield retinal imaging and corneal topography.
Jillian attended Glasgow Caledonian University between 2009 and 2012 where she completed her under-graduate degree; graduating top of her class with a BSc in Dispensing Optics. She completed her post-graduate diplopia in 2013 and is now a member of The Association of British Dispensing Opticians and the General Optical Council.
Previous roles:
- Boots Opticians: 2007 - 2009
- Specsavers Opticians: 2009 - 2011
- Forde Opticians: 2011 - 2013
Richard Shaw
Dispensing Optician
FBDO
Myra Forbes
Receptionist
Myra Forbes Receptionist
Myra has lived in Bearsden and Milngavie for over 40 years years. She has worked with Mr Ivins for since 1998. She first joined C Jeffrey Black opticians in 1996, moving with Mr Ivins to Black and Lizars in 1998. Visual field analysis and retinal imaging are Myra's main areas of interest and expertise. 40+ years in Bearsden, 20+ years in local optics and a photographic memory for faces and names means there are very few of our patients Myra doesn't already know.
Myra is the mother of two daughters and a son, and a grandmother of six.
Pippa Cooke
Clinical Assistant
Harry Sturrock
Undergraduate Optometrist