Meet the Founder – Zabir Ali

Zabir Ali is Founder and Managing Director of Wessex Optical. He grew up in a traditional Pakistani family in Birmingham where he attended the local comprehensive, before studying Optometry at Aston University. He qualified in 2008. He immediately joined Boots Opticians, gaining experience in various stores. Passionate about his work, Zabir envisaged creating a different kind of opticians offering a whole range of specialist eye-care accessible under one, high-street roof. In 2012, With backing from Lloyds Bank and investing his own savings, at aged just 26, Zabir took on his first franchise: Boots Opticians New Milton, Hampshire. Ten years on, Zabir is the award-winning franchise-holder of five  Boots Opticians across Hampshire and Dorset with a sixth due to open this year. And whilst building up his award-winning business, somehow, along the way, in 2021, he found time to complete his independent prescribing masters. Not bad for a working class lad from Birmingham.

“…the best care, consideration and professional service I’ve ever had at an opticians – above and beyond what I expected.”

Sue Saddington, 29.10.21