New principal for ABDO College

Nina McDermott MA is to become the interim principal of ABDO College from this month.

Nina joins ABDO College for two days per week in late November and full time from January. She is a higher education consultant and her most recent role was as executive director of the School of Professional and Continuing Education at King’s College London, where she successfully led the design, development and set up of this cross-university school. This brought together a range of educational offerings into one school, enabling King’s to expand its educational reach and deliver that education in a more integrated and effective way. Nina had overall responsibility for over 11,000 students and 400 staff. She also sat on the University Executive and Academic Board.

Nina will be acting as interim principal at a time when ABDO College is adapting to offer the new apprenticeship in dispensing optics alongside its current range of courses. Nina will bring to this role substantial senior leadership experience and a strong track record in constructive stakeholder engagement. Nina has previously worked and taught at the University of Salford, University of Manchester, London School of Economics and Political Science and University of East London, so has experience across both Russell Group and newer universities.

Nina says, “It is evident that ABDO College is a very special place with an outstanding reputation in ophthalmic dispensing. I feel privileged to support the College, staff and students in the next stage of development and I look forward to taking on this role at such an exciting time.”

Clive Marchant FBDO, chair of trustees at ABDO College, says, “I’m delighted with Nina’s appointment and confident that with Nina’s experience and expertise she can lead the ABDO College team though the exciting development of delivering the FBDO diploma as an apprenticeship.”