Tribute by Robert N. Weinreb, MD

Remembering Erik Greve: A Visionary Leader in Glaucoma

The glaucoma community lost one of its true giants with the passing of Erik Greve. Based in Amsterdam, Erik was a visionary leader whose influence extended far beyond Europe and helped shape the global glaucoma community as we know it today.

The origins of the World Glaucoma Association can be traced to a glaucoma symposium in Hong Kong in 1999, where I first proposed the idea of a global glaucoma organization to him. Over the following months, I discussed the concept extensively with Erik, and together we sought the wise counsel of Roger Hitchings in London. Recognizing the need for truly global representation, we subsequently invited Remo Susanna in São Paulo and Yoshiaki Kitazawa in Tokyo to join us. The five of us became the initial Board of Governors and agreed to establish an organization composed of glaucoma societies and industry members. What was originally named the Association of International Glaucoma Societies would later become the World Glaucoma Association.

Erik was appointed Executive Vice President and immediately became a driving force behind transforming the vision into reality. He was relentless in communicating with glaucoma leaders throughout the world, securing their support and participation. He worked tirelessly with industry partners to obtain sponsorship and foster collaboration. He also served as the founding Editor of a quarterly compendium of glaucoma literature abstracts that evolved into the International Glaucoma Review.

Those of us who worked closely with Erik also recognized the invaluable role played behind the scenes by his partner, Caroline Geijssen, also a glaucoma specialist, whose unwavering support, wise counsel, and thoughtful judgment contributed greatly to the success of many of these formative efforts and to the flourishing of the organization that emerged from them.

Throughout the early years of the World Glaucoma Association, in particular, Erik’s organizational skills, persistence, diplomacy, and unwavering commitment provided the foundation upon which it achieved sustained growth and success over the ensuing quarter century.

Beyond his accomplishments, Erik will be remembered as a colleague, friend, and visionary whose dedication united the global glaucoma community. His legacy lives on in the thriving international organization he helped create.

Robert N. Weinreb, MD
La Jolla, California