December 02, 2016 Industry news
At our recent AGM we celebrated our colleague Andrew Osborne, who recently retired from GS1 UK after 40 years
At our recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) we celebrated our 40th birthday, and our CEO, Gary Lynch, reflected back on some of the milestones and memorable moments we’ve enjoyed along the way. From the very first barcode scan to the world we live in today, where GS1 standards are ubiquitous in retail and have become commonplace online and in healthcare.
There’s been one person who has been with us for the whole journey – our recently retired Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Andrew Osborne. He was there at the formation of what has now become GS1 UK. He was present at the first barcode scan. And he was there when we engaged in RFID and GDS, and as GS1 standards were adopted in new markets, like healthcare.
So on our 40th birthday we celebrated Andrew Osborne’s role during his 40 years at GS1 UK and we honoured his contribution not only to the company in the UK but as an international leader in GS1 standards. Jim Spittle, Chairman and Gary Lynch, CEO at GS1 UK both presented Andrew with his lifetime membership award and thanked him for his excellent service over the last 40 years on behalf of GS1 UK’s Board and colleagues. “We all sincerely hope that your retirement is as enjoyable as the 40 years of great service that you’ve given to GS1. We wish you every success,” said Jim.
Andrew, when presented with his “Barcoding in Britain” plaque, joked that he had always wanted his own GS1 Global Company Prefix number so he can start numbering his things! And then he added, “I’ve been very lucky to have had such a fascinating career and been surrounded by wonderful people. Most importantly, I think we’re doing something worthwhile in this organisation, so it’s really been a privilege to have been involved in working at GS1 and within the GS1 community.”
Andrew finished his speech by thanking everyone who has given him support, advice and inspiration all these years as without them, he emphasised “it wouldn’t have been as enjoyable as it was”.
On behalf of everyone here at GS1 UK, thank you Andrew. We will miss you!