Medmont’s Executive Director Paul holds a B.Eng. from the University Munich for Applied Sciences (majoring in Optics, Mechanical Design and Electronics)—and he’s worn many hats in his almost 3 decades with Medmont.
A key advisor for product development, Paul was instrumental in the design of our renowned E300 corneal topographer—a legacy that will carry on for decades to come in the Medmont Meridia™.
Keep reading to learn more about Paul.
Hi Paul. What do you do at Medmont?
That’s quite difficult to answer, as I have had many different roles in the company.
Currently I hold the role of Executive Director, to present the company legally and make sure our legal obligations are met.
I am also the Chief Technical Advisor in optical, mechanical and particularly systems engineering. This involves review and participation of design concepts, involvement in discussion with design changes, key regulatory questions and more.
I currently spend most of my time in optical design and algorithm concepts for a new product innovation.
Tell us a bit about your career to date.
I started my career with Medmont in 1995 after moving from a Melbourne machine tool company designing 3 and 5 axis laser cutting machines.
Before that I was a group leader in the manufacturing of ophthalmic surgery laser systems and scanning laser Ophthalmoscope at Rodenstock in Munich, Germany.
How has Medmont changed over time?
What I noticed happening over the last 10 years was a steady improvement in our work culture, and it is a pleasure to see how it has evolved.
I think every employee needs to be commended for this, as well as the management team that has promoted our set of values to create a healthy work environment.
What’s your proudest Medmont career achievement?
Without doubt the E300 topographer. What was not that apparent at the time for me was the outstanding accuracy the Topographer provided, which is still highly regarded in the industry today after about 24 years. It is also satisfying that the core design is still the same as the original design.
This was a great opportunity to be directly involved in so many different aspects of the design—including mechanical, optical and the core algorithm design, industrial design, overall system design—as well as project management and managing the production supply.
I also assembled and calibrated units myself and made many cones.
What does Medmont’s purpose statement ‘empowering healthy sight’ mean to you?
I always wanted to work in a field that has a positive effect on society.
Medmont contributes to making healthcare better equipped with devices that improve patient’s sight. Anyone who has had vision problems knows how it affects quality of life, and how debilitating this can be. It is great for our company to be able to take part in empowering a noble cause.
What do you like most about working at Medmont?
It’s the good cause, the people and working in such an interesting and diverse field. Our instruments contain a lot of complexity, with different engineering concepts interacting.
There is always a challenge in there, either in the design of something new or, with so many different elements involved, making sure the product assembles seamlessly and at a particular time.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Time with family is most important. I also like bushwalking, and if there is a mountain in front of me, I need to get up there. I also like a bit of gardening, but not too much.