(press release) PADUA, ITALY; SECAUCUS, NJ – Italian eyewear company Safilo has appointed Stephen Wright to the role of chief commercial officer of Safilo North America, effective June 19, 2018. Henri Blomqvist, who has lead the development in North America for the last two years, leaves the company to pursue other interests.
Born in the U.S., Wright has had a career of longstanding experience in the eyewear industry. Throughout his career, he has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility within VSP Global, such as president of Altair Eyewear and senior vice president of the Americas for Marchon Eyewear. Most recently, he served as president of VSP Global Omni-Channel Solutions.
“We are very happy to welcome Stephen and to count on his expertise and deep knowledge of the U.S. market, its relevant stakeholders and the different dynamics. The U.S. is a historical market for Safilo and we were intent on selecting a leader with a deep knowledge of the specific market needs and able to work hand in hand with all of our different customers,” said Angelo Trocchia, CEO of Safilo Group. “We want to be closer and closer to the market, to better understand what is truly relevant for our local consumers, capitalizing more on our strong brand portfolio and on our independent business approach.”
Within its global brand portfolio, Safilo has just launched the rag & bone collection of eyewear, which is enjoying acceptance in the U.S. and abroad, while Safilo is preparing for the launch of the Rebecca Minkoff new sunglasses collection in October at Rebecca Minkoff retail stores followed by the launch of the ophthalmic and sunwear collection in January 2019.