{PEOPLE}

De Rigo REM announced that Gilda Mehraban has been named as its director of business development for North America. Mehraban had previously served as the company’s head of brand marketing.

Sherianne James has been named chief marketing officer of Essilor of America. James joined the company in 2016 from Transitions Optical. She replaces Carl Bracy, who retired earlier this year.

Marcolin Group announced the appointment of Antonio Jové as head of the company's European, Middle Eastern, and African markets.

Prevent Blindness has elected two new members to its national Board of Directors: John Ferris, vice president and general manager of vision care at Bausch + Lomb, and Cadmus C. Rich, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer of Aura Biosciences.

{BUSINESS UPDATES}

ABB Optical Group has launched a new brand identity for its optical labs, the DIGITAL EYE LAB Network (DEL Network), and has unveiled a new logo as well.

Essilor’s employee shareholding has surpassed 50%, exceeding the goal of 35% (initially set for the year 2020). The number of employees with financial participation in the company has risen to more than 35,000.

Professional Eyecare Resource Co-Operative (PERC) and Infinity Vision Alliance (IVA) have entered into a preferred partnership with the CLX System, a comprehensive contact lens management system.

Safilo announced an exclusive distribution partnership for the Colombian market with Kronotime, a local operator with distribution and brand-building capabilities originating in jewelry. The company also announced an exclusive distribution partnership for the Thailand and Cambodian markets with Supreme Eyewear.

Signet Armorlite helped launch a second KODAK Lens Heitmeier Eyecare location in New Orleans, LA. The KODAK Lens initiative is designed to provide independent eyecare professionals with the opportunity to leverage the strength, recognition, and heritage of the KODAK brand in their local markets.

{AWARDS}

ABB Optical Group announced the winners of its fourth annual ABB Cares Program—seven nonprofit organizations nominated by eyecare professionals nationwide. The ABB Cares grant recipients are: Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation in Las Vegas; Junior Charity League of Concord in Concord, NC; Special Olympics Florida in Clermont, FL; Mercy Health Center in Athens, GA; Plano Child Development in Chicago; Strathmere Volunteer Fire Co. in Strathmere, NJ; and Valley Center for the Blind in Fresno, CA.

Terri Gossard, O.D., executive director of ABB Optical Group’s Primary Eyecare Network, has been named the Ohio Optometric Association’s 2017 Optometrist of the Year.

Vuarnet received the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant,” a mark of recognition acknowledging French companies that exhibit high-quality craftsmanship and industrial excellence.

{MISCELLANEOUS}

The American Optometric Association announced that adventurer Aron Ralston will be the opening general session speaker at this year’s Optometry’s Meeting, scheduled for June 20-24 in Denver. Ralston recounts his ill-fated hiking journey in the New York Times best-selling book “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” and his story inspired the major motion picture “127 Hours.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Silhouette International announced that Jan Cory has left the company and her role of president and CEO of Silhouette’s U.S. subsidiary. Carol Montgomery, who has been advising the U.S. Board of Directors and working with the U.S. management team on short- and long-term strategies, will function as interim CEO.

VSP Global has hired Bill Vaughan as president of VSP Retail, the company’s line of business formerly known as VSP Omni-Channel Solutions. He will be responsible for developing the company’s strategic direction and growth plans across all domestic and international retail initiatives. Vaughan enters the role following the retirement of Steve Wright in April 2017.

For these and other news stories, visit eyecarebusiness.com/news .

MIDO WANTS TO KNOW: IS YOUR OPTICAL STORE AMAZING?

The annual eyewear show in Milan is scheduled for Feb. 24-26, and an international jury of industry managers, visual merchandisers, and design experts are gearing up for the show’s BESTORE Award.

Designed to highlight the best optical stores in the world, BESTORE focuses on two categories: design and innovation.

Think your store excels in these areas? Apply to one of the categories by Feb. 2, and winners will be announced at MIDO 2018.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: MIDO.COM/EN/BESTORE-AWARD .

Enhanced Education Offerings at Vision Expo East

OptiCon, an opticianry and contact lens fitter’s education program, will officially join Vision Expo beginning this year at Vision Expo East in New York (Education: March 15-18; Exhibition: March 16-18).

Four key areas of educational programming will be offered: spectacle, contact lenses, business, and exam review, and attendees can sit for ABO&NCLE exams at both Vision Expo East and West. Plus, a dedicated OptiCon Hub on the show floor will also provide opticians and contact lens fitters with pop-up talks tailored to them, networking space, social events, and access to key resources.

“Vision Expo is thrilled to partner with [the American Board of Opticianry & National Contact Lens Examiners] and its affiliates starting in 2018,” says Melissa Ashley, Reed Exhibitions senior vice president. “We have always believed that the quality of our show is only as good as the education that we can bring to the eyecare providers who drive the profession forward, and we continue to raise the bar by expanding our offerings with OptiCon content.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION: VISIONEXPOEAST.COM .