On July 1, 2022, Allen Nightingale, President of Centennial Optical announced the promotion of Paul-André Desjardins to the position of Vice-President, Lens Division.
Paul-André Desjardins has over 30 years of experience as a lens sales manager with Centennial and as Director of Sales for Lenses and Lab Services. As Vice-President, he is responsible for directing Centennial’s lens business, including all sales strategies, marketing, product development and lab services.
“This promotion demonstrates our confidence in Paul-André to continue the successful growth of our lens business”, said Allen Nightingale. “In a time of unprecedented business challenges, he has repeatedly proven his ability to work successfully with our business partners and lead our lens team in providing exceptional products and services to our customers.”
The shortlist has been announced for the SILMO IOA International Optician of the Year Award. Among the finalists is Optik and Eye Care Business Canada contributor, Wendy Buchanan, Registered Optician and Image consultant. Wendy is up against two Australian candidates and one from France – home of SILMO.
The innovative SILMO IOA International Optician of the Year Award was intialy awareded in 2018. It recognises the importance of the optician in the optical business and their role in the choice of optimum products for their clientele.
The award is presented by the International Opticians Association (IOA), an international body dedicated to the enhancement and development of the profession worldwide, in partnership with SILMO.
More About the Finalists
Wendy Buchanan
“Wendy Buchanan exudes professionalism and innovation. She has created one of the most unique and profitable mobile optician businesses in the industry and is known as an advanced image consultant having designed a propriety face shape and colour coding system unique in the industry.”
Wendy regularly contributes to Optik Magazine and Eye Care Business Canada through a regular column that advises how eye independent eye care professionals can bolster their eye wear dispensing sales and generate greater profitability for their practice.
She is also an Ambassador for IMAGINEM Magazine, a global eyewear fashion magazine that advocates for independent eyewear.
The 2021 winner, was Helen Whitaker, the first woman to win the award. Helen runs Secure Vision Optical in British Columbia, Canada and is the founder of the Secure Vision Mobile Optical Academy.
Other Finalists ….
Grant Hannaford has made Hannaford Eyewear the destination for leading edge innovation and excellence in clinical care for the Southern Highlands in Australia as well as delivering optical dispensing training for optometrists at UNSW.
April Petrusma is an on-call optical dispenser, a teacher with Australia’s largest provider of dispensing training ACOD and serves the wider optical industry as the inaugural CEO of the recently formed Optical Dispensers Australia.
Jean Francois Porte founded Edgard Opticians with his partner Julien Quesnel, growing the company from 1 to 16 independent optical stores plus 8 franchise stores in major cities in France. The business has been built on word of mouth, customer satisfaction, specialisation (two of his stores are dedicated to children) and designer products.
IOA President Fiona Anderson says, “We are impressed by the calibre of entries and delighted to announce this short list. The finalists will now have the chance to supply a dossier of evidence to back up their achievements in the eight areas of expertise we are looking for. I hope that showcasing these outstanding opticians will inspire the whole profession.”
The winner of this award, all qualified opticians in the country they practice in, will display the following attributes:
• Professionalism – the client is at the heart of their business and receives excellent care.
• Excellent communication skills – both personally and via social media.
• Entrepreneurial spirit – with solid business acumen highlighted through the success of their enterprise.
• Innovation – within their business model / product offer / shop design.
• Specialisation – with a reputation in a specific branch of optics.
• Creativity – both in the products they offer and the way they practice.
• Engagement – with the profession, the community, charitable endeavours and industry.
• Advocacy – championing the profession of dispensing.
What Happens Next Wendy told Optik that she’s excited to be nominated and now, “I need to complete an extensive dossier of my contributions and accomplishments. The winners are selected by the International pane of industry experts”.
The award announcement will be made in SILMO Paris in September.
Today, Gap and De Rigo announced the launch of their first collection of Gap-branded eyewear through their partnership, delivering a versatile, high-quality line of sunglasses and optical wear for adults, juniors, and kids.
Founded in San Francisco in 1969, Gap is a leading casual lifestyle brand in the U.S. Gap and De Rigo have partnered together to encourage individuals to embrace their sense of style and their power of self-expression through the new Gap eyewear line.
Created in a deal facilitated by IMG, the Gap-branded eyewear collection offers elevated and well-made styles that celebrate the individuality of each customer. The collection will launch with a large selection of sun and optical eyewear for adults, juniors, and kids, ranging from classic frames with clean lines to more fashion-forward frames in optimistic, bold colours. The launch collection includes three capsules: Lifestyle, Elevated Essentials, and Optimistic Colour.
Available from July 2022, the new line will be available on De Rigo’s official website.
Registration is now open for Vision Expo West, taking place September 14-17, 2022 in Las Vegas at the Venetian Expo & Convention Center. The show organizers, The Vision Council and RX, are planning a robust Show experience, including diverse Show Floor neighborhoods, the return of the Suites, engaging programming and events and a completely new education program.
The Show’s educational program developed by the Education Planning Committee together with OptiCon®@Vision Expo will open Wednesday, September 14, and the Exhibit Hall will open Thursday, September 15.
“We are looking forward to a great Show in Las Vegas this September,” said Fran Pennella, Vice President, Vision Expo at RX, co-organizer of Vision Expo. “In addition to our energetic Show Floor neighborhoods – showcasing the full landscape of vision care products –and programming, we are particularly excited to offer a completely new education program, featuring more than 320 hours of education.”
Vision Expo West 2022 will feature several exciting Show Floor neighborhoods, including:
The Panorama, a new neighborhood spotlighting the innovative frontier of vision technology, including cutting-edge business solutions, medical advances, software and wearables that are paving the path for what’s to come in the industry.
The Atelier, the neighborhood that made its debut at Vision Expo East 2022, will also launch at Vision Expo West 2022, featuring design-led ateliers dedicated to artisanal eyewear and featuring a limited group of sought-after independent designers from around the globe.
Vision Expo’s all-new education program includes more than 320 hours of education, ranging from the latest business strategies and optical technology to patient care and cutting-edge innovations.
The CE program will feature leading clinical education delivered by the foremost experts in the field of optometry. Clinical tracks feature key content areas including glaucoma, posterior segment and macular degeneration, anterior segment, retina, anterior dry eye, surgical/co-management, systemic disease and more.
OptiCon®@Vision Expo will return with an unmatched education program and Exhibit Hall experience for opticians, contact lens professionals, allied ophthalmic professionals, optical assistants and office managers, frame buyers and lab technicians. The OptiCon Hub will host networking, social events and access to representatives and resources from the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners (ABO-NCLE), National Academy of Opticianry (NAO), Opticians Association of America (OAA), National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS), Contact Lens Society of America (CLSA) and vendor partners.
“We look forward to bringing the industry together again at Vision Expo West in just a few months,” said Mitch Barkley, Vice President of Trade Shows and Events at The Vision Council. “As the vision care community continues to get back to conducting business in-person, we’ll be curating a number of opportunities for networking and relationship-building. As always, there will be special opportunities for young professionals and students, too.”
Additionally,the Innovation Stage will host a rich schedule of special events, panels and presentations.
With the Lite Wave collection, Silhouette has created the embodiment of lightness— a pair of glasses that weighs just 3.68 grams— with a purist design. Craftmanship and materials are the secrets behind the incredible lightness of the glasses, which have a strikingly thin 100% titanium frame made using a high-tech laser.
New Look President Jacinthe Laurendeau joins Eye on the Industry to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary and discuss innovation, technology, customer experience and what comes next.
Created with French chef Mathieu Pérou, Silure de Loire pairs a round acetate silhouette with tortoise tones, subtle green accents and resin details inspired by fish scales.
The Students of Vision Scholarship Program, presented by Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada, challenges future eye care professionals to develop a creative initiative that helps young adults better understand the impact of light on visual comfort, performance and everyday life. Top submissions will receive scholarships and smart eyewear equipped with Transitions lenses.
A new Vision Council report shows most adults with digital eye strain symptoms never seek care, underscoring the importance of eyecare providers in guiding patients.
Applications are now open for the MIDO AWARDS 2027, including the CSE Award, CSE Corporate Award and Best Store Award, recognizing sustainability, innovation and excellence across the global optical industry.
New Look President Jacinthe Laurendeau joins Eye on the Industry to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary and discuss innovation, technology, customer experience and what comes next.
Created with French chef Mathieu Pérou, Silure de Loire pairs a round acetate silhouette with tortoise tones, subtle green accents and resin details inspired by fish scales.
The Students of Vision Scholarship Program, presented by Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada, challenges future eye care professionals to develop a creative initiative that helps young adults better understand the impact of light on visual comfort, performance and everyday life. Top submissions will receive scholarships and smart eyewear equipped with Transitions lenses.
A new Vision Council report shows most adults with digital eye strain symptoms never seek care, underscoring the importance of eyecare providers in guiding patients.
Applications are now open for the MIDO AWARDS 2027, including the CSE Award, CSE Corporate Award and Best Store Award, recognizing sustainability, innovation and excellence across the global optical industry.
New Look President Jacinthe Laurendeau joins Eye on the Industry to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary and discuss innovation, technology, customer experience and what comes next.
Created with French chef Mathieu Pérou, Silure de Loire pairs a round acetate silhouette with tortoise tones, subtle green accents and resin details inspired by fish scales.
The Students of Vision Scholarship Program, presented by Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada, challenges future eye care professionals to develop a creative initiative that helps young adults better understand the impact of light on visual comfort, performance and everyday life. Top submissions will receive scholarships and smart eyewear equipped with Transitions lenses.
A new Vision Council report shows most adults with digital eye strain symptoms never seek care, underscoring the importance of eyecare providers in guiding patients.
Applications are now open for the MIDO AWARDS 2027, including the CSE Award, CSE Corporate Award and Best Store Award, recognizing sustainability, innovation and excellence across the global optical industry.
New Look President Jacinthe Laurendeau joins Eye on the Industry to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary and discuss innovation, technology, customer experience and what comes next.
Created with French chef Mathieu Pérou, Silure de Loire pairs a round acetate silhouette with tortoise tones, subtle green accents and resin details inspired by fish scales.
The Students of Vision Scholarship Program, presented by Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada, challenges future eye care professionals to develop a creative initiative that helps young adults better understand the impact of light on visual comfort, performance and everyday life. Top submissions will receive scholarships and smart eyewear equipped with Transitions lenses.
A new Vision Council report shows most adults with digital eye strain symptoms never seek care, underscoring the importance of eyecare providers in guiding patients.
Applications are now open for the MIDO AWARDS 2027, including the CSE Award, CSE Corporate Award and Best Store Award, recognizing sustainability, innovation and excellence across the global optical industry.
