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Essilor
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Hubert Sagnières
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Essilor announced that Hubert Sagnières, chief operating officer, will be appointed chief executive officer as of Jan. 1, 2010. He will replace Xavier
Fontanet, who will continue as chairman of the Essilor’s board of directors. Fontanet has served as CEO and chairman of the board since 1996. Sagnières has been chief operating officer of Essilor International since August 2008. Two years prior to that, he was appointed president, North America and Europe. Between 1998 and August 2006, he was president of Essilor of America, and in 1997, he served as president of Essilor Laboratories of America. |
Luxottica Group
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Scott Olivet
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Colin Baden
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Luxottica Group announced that Scott Olivet has stepped down as CEO and has been named to the newly created position of chairman of Oakley.
Colin Baden has been named CEO, he will also retain his title as president. As president and CEO of Oakley, Baden will report directly to Luxottica Group CEO Andrea Guerra and will oversee all key areas of Oakley’s core business. Baden joined Oakley in February 1996 as director of design and served as vice president of design from February 1997 to February 1999 when he was named president. Olivet, who as CEO of Oakley presided over the 2007 $2.1 billion sale of the company to Luxottica Group, joined Oakley in October 2005 as CEO and as an Oakley director. |
HVHC
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Sherry Lay
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Kelly Carter
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Highmark’s HVHC vision company has named two experienced optical-industry executives—Sherry Lay and
Kelly Carter—to key positions at its Viva International eyewear group and Eye Care Centers of America retail chain. Lay is now Viva’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, a new position in which she oversees merchandising, brand management, marketing business development and inventory planning. Carter has been named ECCA’s VP of merchandising and sales development. |
American Board of Optometry
David Cockrell |
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The AOA announced that a joint memorandum of understanding has been entered into by the American Academy of Optometry
(AAO), the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
(ASCO), and the AOA regarding formation and organization of the American Board of Optometry
(ABO). The various organizations have also named representatives to the ABO board of directors. Representing the AOA on the ABO board will be
David Cockrell, OD, of Stillwater, Okla., and
Paul Ajamian, OD, of Atlanta. Tom Lewis,
OD, a past president of the
AAO, will be that organization’s representative to the ABO board. ASCO has named David Health, OD, president of the State University of New York’s State College of Optometry as its representative. Representing the AOSA will be member Mary Phillips, OD. |
Paul Ajamian |
Tom Lewis |
Vistakon
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Collen Riley
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Johnson & Johnson Vision Care’s Vistakon division has named
Colleen Riley, OD, its vice president, professional development. In her new role, Riley now leads Vistakon’s continuing efforts to develop and implement strategies and programs that focus on professional and practice development for eyecare professionals. She also will oversee all activities for The Vision Care Institute. Riley takes over responsibilities previously held by Pat Cummings, OD, who died in a plane crash in July. |
Transitions Optical
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Roland Allen
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Catherine Rauscher
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Transitions Optical has announced two appointments to Transitions® SOLFX™, the company’s global sunwear brand.
Roland Allen will assume the role of director, sunwear – EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Asia Pacific, and
Catherine Rauscher has been appointed marketing manager,
sunwear. Both are newly created roles to help drive accelerated growth in the sunwear business. Allen, who joined Transitions in 2001, previously held the position of business director for Northern Europe.
Rauscher, who joined Transitions in 2004 as a production engineer, held various marketing positions within the company. |
1-800 Contacts
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Mark Travis
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Mark Travis, OD, a Wal-Mart Optical veteran who was most recently senior director of the retail giant’s health and wellness division, has joined 1-800 Contacts in a new position, vice president of store operations. In his new role, Travis’ responsibilities include providing insight and leadership in defining areas where 1-800 Contacts can work more closely with Wal-Mart affiliated ODs. Wal-Mart and 1-800 announced an alliance for contact lens sales earlier this year. |
Lighthouse International
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Mark Ackermann
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Mark G. Ackermann has been chosen as the new president and chief executive officer of Lighthouse International, the 104-year-old non-profit organization that provides vision healthcare, research, and services for the visually impaired. He takes over the position from board member Ted
Francavilla, who has served as acting president and CEO since May 2009. Ackermann served in various senior management positions at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center beginning in 1983, and held the position of Chief Administrative Officer of the hospital's successor corporation. |
Will Be Missed…
Calvin Howell passes away
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Calvin Howell
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Longtime optical sales executive Calvin Howell died of a heart attack on Sunday, August 30. He was 49 years old and lived in Orlando. Howell began his career at Younger Optics, later holding sales positions at Orcolite and
Polycore. Most recently, he was vice president of sales at
Polylens, a N.J.-based polycarbonate Korean lens company. He was an avid musician and played electric bass in a jazz band in Orlando. He was also a founding member of the EyeRock Band and was featured among the optical industry musicians in the group’s benefit concerts for various vision-related causes.
Howell is survived by his wife, Diana, sons Askia Howell, Larnell Marion and Calvin Preston, daughter Seslee Howell, sisters Linda
Zollicoffer, Kathy Howell and Charlayne Davis, brothers Robert Howell and Howard Howell, and mother Lorena Howell. |
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