HelpMeSee Names Doug May President and Chief Executive Officer

Chief Operating Officer and former FlightSafety International executive to lead the organization applying aviation training methods to cataract surgery

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The HelpMeSee Board of Directors has appointed Doug May, President and Chief Executive Officer. May, previously the organization's Chief Operating Officer, assumed the role on September 16, 2026, and will lead its work training Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS), a high-quality procedure that restores sight to people blinded by cataract at a fraction of the cost of the alternatives.

HelpMeSee was founded on a single premise: that the training methods that made commercial aviation safe could do the same for cataract surgery. May has spent his career in that discipline. He began as an experimental test pilot, an experience that shaped his understanding of rigorous training, measurable proficiency and continuous improvement in high-stakes environments, and joined HelpMeSee in 2025 from FlightSafety International, the aviation training company where those methods were pioneered.

"Doug has demonstrated outstanding operational leadership, strategic vision and commitment to our mission since joining our executive leadership team," said Jim Ueltschi, Co-Founder and Chairman of HelpMeSee. "The Board of Directors is confident that under Doug's leadership, HelpMeSee will continue to rapidly expand its simulation-based surgical training programs globally and accelerate our efforts to end cataract blindness worldwide."

The HelpMeSee training system combines photorealistic, high-fidelity virtual reality simulators and realistic haptic technology with instructor-led, competency-based curricula. Trainees complete extensive eLearning before beginning simulator training, then practice each surgical step hundreds of times, receiving objective performance assessment and individualized instructor feedback, and reach proficiency far sooner than traditional apprenticeship allows. HelpMeSee then works with partners to carry those skills into clinical practice and build lasting surgical capacity.

At FlightSafety International, May served as Executive Vice President of Operations and Partner Relationships, where he oversaw a network of training centers, strengthened strategic partner relationships and supported the use of immersive technologies, including virtual reality, to enhance pilot instruction. He previously held leadership positions at Textron Aviation, Bell Helicopter and Bombardier.

"I am honored to lead HelpMeSee and build on the vision that Jim and Al Ueltschi established," said May. "Simulation transformed aviation training by giving people the opportunity to develop and demonstrate critical skills before lives depended on them. HelpMeSee is applying that same fundamental principle to cataract surgical training. Our opportunity is to work with partners around the world to equip more cataract specialists with the skills and confidence they need to restore sight in their own communities."

About HelpMeSee

Roughly 100 million people worldwide are blind or visually impaired because of cataract. HelpMeSee, a not-for-profit under IRS section 501(c)(3), is the only organization working to eradicate cataract blindness through high-fidelity simulation and competency-based training adapted from commercial aviation. Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) delivers successful outcomes at a fraction of the cost of the alternatives. With more than 40 simulators and 19 training centers worldwide, HelpMeSee partners with governments, universities and innovators against the global cataract blindness crisis.

HelpMeSee was co-founded by Al and Jim Ueltschi, who set out to build the MSICS training system using methods proven in commercial pilot training. Al Ueltschi founded FlightSafety International, the world's foremost aviation training company, and co-founded Orbis International, serving as its chairman for 35 years. An icon of the aviation industry, he was devoted to ending preventable blindness in the developing world.

For more information, visit helpmesee.org.

Amanda Kronberg | 720-220-9882 | Director of Marketing, HelpMeSee