Ron Hamilton: contact lens mogul with vision to succeed

Ron Hamilton had a comfortable life as vice president of a multinational firm. In 1993, he threw that aside to start his own business. Now his company is set for sales of £6m a year.

Some people are so short of money, they're forced to set up their own business. Ron Hamilton, 67, wasn't one of them. The vice president of a multinational contact lens manufacturer, by 1990 he lived a pretty comfortable life in Hampshire, with a Jaguar in the driveway and a salary of well over £100,000 a year. But "I hankered after the freedom to do my own thing," says the restless Scot. In 1993, he got his chance.

The son of a Lanarkshire curling stone manufacturer, Hamilton reckoned that contact lens wearers were sick of monthly lenses, and that daily disposables were the future. His employer, CooperVision, which made money by selling lenses and solutions, wasn't as keen as it would have meant giving up the solutions business. "So it was make or break time stick to your guns or to your career. I decided to go it alone," he says.

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Jody Clarke

Jody studied at the University of Limerick and was a senior writer for MoneyWeek. Jody is experienced in interviewing, for example digging into the lives of an ex-M15 agent and quirky business owners who have made millions. Jody’s other areas of expertise include advice on funds, stocks and house prices.