Blog

September 2, 2021September 2, 2021

Enrique Contreras Named as Country Manager for CooperVision Canada

Enrique Contreras has been named as Country Manager for CooperVision Canada, effective immediately. He takes over the role from Alexandra Donkin, who is retiring after 18 years with the company and 25 years in the contact lens industry.

Contreras was most recently Global Commercial Operations Director, gaining perspectives spanning manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, finance, human resources, and systems. Prior, he served the company as General Manager for CooperVision in Mexico, where he led rapid and sustained growth through share gain and increased contact lens penetration across all channels. Before joining CooperVision, he was General Manager for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care in Mexico and had an additional decade in marketing, sales, and management roles outside the eye care field.

Contreras served as member of the National Committee of Optometry Giving Sight in Mexico. He and his family are moving to the Greater Toronto Area, where CooperVision Canada is headquartered.

“While happy to be retiring, I will definitely miss my colleagues and customers with whom I’ve developed a very close relationship over the years,” said Donkin. “Enrique is passionate about vision care and the people with whom he works—he’s a wonderful choice to lead our organization. I’m excited about what that will mean for our team, Canadian eye care professionals, and the industry at large.”

Donkin will remain with CooperVision Canada in a focused role through January 2022.

Click HERE for the press release.

Transitions Partners with OAC for Fall Educational Offerings

Transitions Optical will be partnering with the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) to offer new educational offerings in French and English from Transitions Optical on September 19 and October 3. The new courses will give participants the opportunity to understand the cutting-edge technology behind the two new Transitions^® XTRActive^® products and fulfill their required education credits before the year’s end.

The first course will be offered on September 19 with a live offering of the accredited course, Transitions^® XTRActive^® New Generation, Dr. Kiran Ramesh in English at 11 a.m. ET, and Dr. Laurie Gilbert in French, which will be available on-demand after the course. Accreditation values include:

NACOR: 1 EG
CCP: 7.1, 8.1, 9.1
CCOA: 1 hour
COO: Self Directed
OODQ: Pending

The second course, Transitions^® XTRActive^® Polarized^™, will be offered on October 3 at 11 a.m. ET by Dr. Ryan Parker (English) and Dr. Laurie Gilbert (French). Accreditation values include:

NACOR: 1 EG
CCP: 7.1, 8.1, 9.1
CCOA: 1 hour
COO: Self Directed
OODQ: Pending

“We are so excited to be able to offer education courses to further explain the light management needs of patients, and to outline the amazing new solutions offered by Transitions XTRActive new generation lenses and Transitions XTRActive Polarized lenses,” said Arnaud Rajchenbach, marketing manager, Transitions Optical in Canada. “They are an important innovation for all eye care professionals to understand and these courses will outline all of the key features and benefits.”

OAC members can register free-of-charge. Price for non-members is $40 for the English and French modules and $25 for the French only.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Alcon Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results

Alcon reported its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021. For the second quarter of 2021, worldwide sales were $2.1 billion, an increase of 75% on a reported basis and 69% on a constant currency basis, as compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

“Our second quarter performance demonstrates the strength and resilience of our businesses, with our highest quarterly sales and earnings since our spin-off,” said David Endicott, Alcon’s Chief Executive Officer. “Strong commercial execution behind our new product launches resulted in all sales categories in Surgical and Vision Care posting growth over 2019, notwithstanding the continued impact of COVID-19.”

Worldwide sales for the second quarter were $2.1 billion, an increase of 75% on a reported basis and 69% on a constant currency basis, compared to the second quarter of 2020. All categories benefited from the improvements in the eye care market, led by the strong recovery in the US and varied paces of recovery in international markets from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vision Care Returns to Growth; Strong Demand for Precision1, Systane and Pataday

Vision Care net sales of $0.9 billion, which include contact lenses and ocular health, increased 49%, or 44% on a constant currency basis, compared to the second quarter of 2020, also with double-digit increases across both categories. Contact lens growth reflected improvements in all product categories and continued momentum from the launch of Precision1 and Precision1 for Astigmatism. Growth in ocular health was led by Systane and Pataday, primarily due to the recent launch of Pataday Extra Strength.

Click HERE for the full press release.

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021

CooperVision Names Mitsou as Québec Spokesperson to Raise Awareness Around Myopia in Children

CooperVision Canada announced that popular Québec pop singer, businesswoman, actress, television and radio host Mitsou Gélinas has become their new spokesperson for a campaign to raise awareness about myopia in children.

This new campaign featuring Mitsou will focus on the causes and treatment options for myopia in children. Spanning several weeks, the campaign will consist of advertising buys and interviews in local Québec media, as well as content sharing across CooperVision’s and Mitsou’s social media platforms. The goal of this partnership is to not only build awareness on the short and long-term effects of children’s myopia, but also educate Québec parents about the impact that habits adopted during the pandemic could be having on the eyes of Canadian children.

According to a recent survey by CooperVision Canada and Maru/Blue, 59% of Canadian parents reported their children under the age of 14 were spending more time doing activities that require near vision compared to before the pandemic. Experts believe this increased use of near vision could have long-term negative effects on the eye health of Canadian children.

“I was thrilled when CooperVision Canada reached out to me asking if I would like to collaborate with them. Children’s myopia is a cause that strongly resonates with me because my family and I all have eyesight problems,” said Mitsou. “I’ve seen my kids with their eyes stuck to their electronics during the pandemic and as a parent, I was naturally worried. I’ve learned a lot while working with CooperVision and I’m looking forward to sharing all this knowledge with Québec parents in the coming weeks.”

“It is no surprise that over the past year and a half, children have been using their near vision more than before the pandemic, so it is critical to remind parents of the importance of getting their kids’ eyesight checked before they begin school,” said Dr Langis Michaud, optometrist, professor, and dean of the University of Montreal’s optometry school.

“As a new school year is about to begin, we were delighted to be able to partner with Mitsou and tap into her popular and credible voice to remind parents that an eye exam to check their children’s eyesight should be part of the back-to-school to-do list if they want to set their children up for success,” said Enrique Contreras, Country Manager for CooperVision Canada.

Click HERE for the full press release.

AYA’s Newest Navajo Collaboration

This frame was crafted to feature striking elements from the works of Master Weaver Helene Nez. The distinctly Navajo pattern is framed within the arm of the temple for a truly beautiful effect. The Helene frame itself is a unisex full rim frame and has spring hinges for added comfort. Available in a soft satin plum or soft satin black.

Distributed by: www.claudiaalan.com