(PRESS RELEASE) SUN VALLEY, CA – De Rigo REM, the Los Angeles-based subsidiary of De Rigo Vision, announces a strategic organizational realignment as well as corresponding appointments and promotions to the leadership team. In line with key business priorities, the strengthened internal structure will deliver better efficiencies throughout the organization and further reinforce De Rigo REM’s dedication to its employees and customers and the advancement of the eyecare industry.
De Rigo REM has realigned its two-division sales force by simplifying its management structure to concentrate on the East and West regions. To aid the shift, the organization has added two regional vice presidents and assigned supporting district coordinators who will oversee the strategic direction and development of a highly competitive sales team in each territory. Both vice president positions will report directly into Alessandro Baronti, De Rigo REM’s President.
Jordan Gerardi has been appointed as the Central East Coast regional vice president. Most recently, Gerardi held the position of Ray-Ban business manager for Luxottica where he was successful in developing a powerful sales team and driving brand awareness in his territory to significantly grow accounts as well as drive high volume sales in the Eastern U.S. region.
Additionally, Mark Mixon has been appointed as the Central West Coast regional vice president. Mixon brings over 17 years of optical experience from Luxottica where he has held many integral sales roles including, most recently, Ray-Ban business manager, where he excelled at leading a dynamic sales team in the Central US region. Mixon, who is a certified ABO speaker, was also vital in contributing to the Group’s educational strategy, delivering critical brand training to the field and customers.
With the realignment of the sales structure, Jim Sepanek has been promoted to vice president of business development, where he will take on an expanded role focused on developing and strengthening strategic partnerships across key accounts and the company’s sun business as well as overseeing the go- to-market strategy and product development for REM’s U.S. brands.
Emphasizing De Rigo REM’s commitment to cultivating talent from within, the company has also invested in a number of promotions to the leadership team including:
- Claudio Ninotti has been named as the new executive vice president of finance and operations, reporting directly to Alessandro Baronti and overseeing finance, IT, operations and purchasing. Ninotti, who joined De Rigo REM in August 2017, has worked for De Rigo Vision for over 10 years and was recently based in Hong Kong holding the position of CFO Far East Subsidiaries.
- Samantha Fasulo has been elevated to marketing director where she will continue to develop and execute the road map on all marketing strategy, merchandising and business planning. Fasulo has held key roles for leading companies such as Oakley and Johnson & Johnson and has served as a crucial member of De Rigo REM’s brand management team since 2016.
- Doug Pocrass has taken on an expanded role as supply chain director where he will be vital for overseeing the supply network and seeking effective ways to reduce factory lead times and costs. Pocrass has been with De Rigo REM since 2012 in which he served as the director of purchasing, successfully leading all procurement and inventory management planning for the company.
“We are strategically positioning our business for the future, creating a more efficient framework to serve our customers, increase value and maximize growth. The market is propitious and we are investing heavily into bringing in the right talent as well as identifying leaders from within to take this organization to the next level,” stated Alessandro Baronti, president of De Rigo REM. “The addition of Jordan and Mark as well as the promotions of Claudio, Jim, Samantha and Doug will play a crucial role in helping us achieve a new level of excellence and ensure continued success.”
All appointments and promotions are effective immediately.
(From Left) Alessandro-Baronti, Mark-Mixon, Jordan-Gerardi, Jim-Sepanek