Carolina Kunnen

Carolina Kunnen, PhD, BOptom, BHealth, FBCLA, is the Global Director of Professional Education and Development at Alcon, where she develops and drives the eye care professional engagement and educational initiatives within the Alcon's Global Vision Care Franchise Team.With a background as a Principal Clinical Development & Medical Affairs Project Lead in R&D, she possesses more than 5 years of expertise in clinical strategy development, spanning from
ideation to commercial launch. Carolina is an experienced and skilled clinician, having provided patient-centered care for over 11 years in various clinical settings in the Netherlands, including a contact lens specialty practice.

Driven by her passion for optometry and desire to make a positive impact on the world, Carolina established The Optical Foundation, a non-profit organization providing eye care in Africa. With over 15 years of successful operation, The Optical Foundation offers comprehensive eye exams, education, and research, making eye care accessible in Ghana. Additionally, Carolina has taught optometry and orthoptics in the Netherlands, Ghana, and Australia.

Carolina completed her Optometry and Orthoptics degrees in the Netherlands and earned her PhD from the Brien Holden Vision Institute / University of New South Wales in Australia. As a three-time TEDx speaker and co-host, Carolina is a proven cultural change-maker who inspires and engages others towards promoting innovation while advocating for diversity and inclusion.
Furthermore, she actively contributes to the Netherlands Contact Lens Congress program committee.