Message from Toby

After 34 years, the company has grown to the point where a change of leadership is needed to bring in different experience and inject new energy.

I decided that David Collison, who has worked as our Finance Director, would be just the person to follow my footsteps and take the company forward. He has considerable professional experience and his analytical approach will stand the company in good stead.

There is huge AAC experience within the company (Simon Churchill, David Mason, and all other staff). Most members of the company have been with us for more than 10 years, and David Collison intends to build on and grow this body of experience.

I was 60 this year, but I expect to be busier than ever with new projects. I will retain a keen interest in the company from the wings.

My ex wife, Sheila Stuart, who had been with the company for nearly half its lifespan, has also moved on and she is now pursuing a career in accountancy along with her duties as a Cambridge City Councillor.

I feel privileged to have worked with the staff, and wish the company every success in the future. It has been enormous fun being in the AAC industry all these years, and it has been very rewarding seeing Lightwriters being used by an increasing range and number of people with speech disability, and to see them being used in more and more countries around the world as our export market developed.

Our company was honoured in the mid 90s to receive the prestigious Queen's Award for Export two years running, reflecting our continued growth in exports, and we have maintained these high level of exports ever since.

Finally, I would like to thank all Lightwriter users, their carers and therapists for the opportunity of working with them over the past 34 years.