Meet The New Leader Of Orbis International: John Slattery Takes The Helm To Boost Global Eye Care

Orbis International appoints John Slattery as Chair, leveraging his aviation expertise to combat preventable blindness worldwide.

Orbis International, the leading nonprofit for the prevention of blindness and restoration of sight in underserved communities, has appointed John Slattery as Chair of its Board of Directors. Slattery, an accomplished aerospace executive, has over 25 years of experience in the field of aviation. He brings with him leadership and passion for international eye care. This appointment, effective January 1, 2026, outlines the vision of Orbis to combat avoidable vision loss, an issue that affects millions.

John Slattery: A Lifelong Advocate for Global Eye Care

John Slattery has been with Orbis International for almost 20 years. He first became a member of the organization in 2006 when he joined the Board of Directors, and as his commitment to the cause deepened, he became the Board Member Emeritus in 2013. He returned to the Board in January 2023. His passion for Ord is and the mission, combined with his extensive aerospace experience, give him the right set of skills to lead the nonprofit into its next chapter.

Slattery’s background in aviation with GE Aviation and Embraer Commercial Aviation fits perfectly with the vision of Orbis. The organization is best known for the Flying Eye Hospital, which is an aircraft that functions as a fully equipped ophthalmic teaching hospital and provides sight-saving surgeries and training all over the world. With his leadership, Orbis will strengthen partnerships within and beyond the aviation industry, allowing Orbis to broaden the scope of its sight-restoring services to communities that do not have access to eye care.

A Commitment to Preventing Blindness and Restoring Sight

The mission of Orbis International is to prevent blindness and restore sight in places that do not have or cannot afford eye care. With over 1.1 billion people in the world living with some kind of vision impairment, the mission of Orbis is to reverse this trend and save the greatest number of people from vision loss. Orbis’s work is essential because 90% of vision impairment is either correctable or preventable.

Advocating for Orbi as an organization, Slattery took great honor in stepping into the role of Chair. He recalls Orbis’ tremendous efforts with the Flying Eye Hospital, delivering high-quality, utmost care to those who need it most. Slattery reinforced the importance of cultivating the one-of-a-kind integration of medical and aeronautical services that Orbis possesses, making it possible to service hard-to-reach areas. He brought attention to the great efforts of the organization in collaboration with their partners to deliver eye care services via telehealth, e-learning, and medicine.

Expanding Partnerships to Meet Growing Needs

As Chair of the board, Slattery will shift his focus to Orbis and the possible partnerships that can be obtained in aviation and beyond in order to achieve their goals. He aims to broaden Orbis’ potential with international partners to ensure that the vision and demand for eye care services are met.

The range of services offered by Orbis is not limited to the Flying Eye Hospital; they also created an innovative solution called Cybersight. This software pairs eye care professionals with mentors through a tele-mentoring network. Also, Cybersight provides online courses so they can get the latest training. Orbis fights the root causes of avoidable blindness by improving access to care and providing training to local health care providers to help them serve their communities.

The growing awareness of the avoidable loss of vision will make the need for Slattery’s leadership even greater. His vision for Orbis is to strengthen the existing programs, expand the overall footprint, and make sure local health systems are equipped to do the work of treating and preventing vision loss.

An Exemplary Record of Leadership in Aerospace and Beyond

In addition to Orbis, Slattery is also the Chairman of Forgital Group, which is a global leader in the manufacturing of forged components for the aerospace and industrial sectors. His leadership in the aerospace sector will add valuable experience to Orbis, especially with the nonprofit’s need to expand its worldwide operations and develop fresh collaborations.

Having previously held the position of President & CEO of both GE Aviation and Embraer Commercial Aviation and managing the advancement of global services for all divisions of aviation, Slattery’s credentials are, without a doubt, as good as it gets. As a global leader of the aerospace industry, Slattery’s networks and knowledge will contribute significantly to the success of Orbis. His global industry leadership and passion for eye care make him a powerful agent for change in the battle against avoidable blindness.

A Bright Future for Orbis International

Orbis International will continue to grow and succeed in its pursuit of delivering safe and reliable eye care for all as the Chair of the Board, John Slattery, takes the lead. The vision for Orbis is promising as it is expanding its services in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Those in need of care and services will be provided for.

New paradigms are being created in global eye care by Orbis through innovative services, meaningful partnerships, and dynamic leadership. The organization’s impact will be tremendous as it brings hope, restores sight, and gives the world to those who need it the most.

Orbiss mission stays vital. With the world facing more and more demand for full-service eye care and Slattery guiding the nonprofit to make vision loss history for millions, preventable blindness is a reality.

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