They were announced at the 2017 Executive Summit.
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Vision Council elected its 2017 officers and board of directors at its annual Executive Summit.
Mike Hundert, CEO and chief creative officer of De Rigo Rem, was elected as the new chairman of the board, with Ken Bradley of Eschenbach Optik tapped as the new vice chairman.
Robert Liener of A&A Optical was elected to the role of secretary/treasurer. Marty Bassett of Walman Optical is now the immediate past chairman.
Also elected were directors-at-large Kurt Atchison of Schneider Optical Machines, Henri Blomqvist of Safilo, Rick Tinson of Hoya and Fabrizio Uguzzoni of Luxottica Wholesale, each selected for an initial two-year term, as well as Bob Colucci of Essilor and Glenn Rusk of Kering Eyewear, each selected for a second two-year term.
The complete roster for the 2017 Board of Directors can be found online at thevisioncouncil.org.
The summit, which ran Jan. 25-27 at the Ritz Carlton Orlando in Grande Lakes, FL, has drawn a record number of high-level executives from the optical industry with close to 400 attendees.
In his inaugural presentation as chairman of the board, Hundert outlined his vision for his tenure, including strengthening and expanding many of The Vision Council’s flagship programs, including the International Vision Expos and VisionWatch market research program, and working to give a voice to the next generation of the industry’s leaders through The Vision Council’s Emerging Optical Leaders initiative. He also reinforced the organization’s dedication to growing the industry through an increased commitment to the Think About Your Eyes campaign and a strengthened partnership with the American Optometric Association.
“When we combine the strengths of The Vision Council with the clout of other industry organizations, our power multiplies exponentially.,” he said. “We will work to bring industry groups together to do everything that can be done to bring vision to all those who need it.
“We will also continue to look to the future, building on what we began at this Executive Summit one year ago when we invited our member companies to bring together their best and brightest young people. These members of The Vision Council’s Emerging Optical Leaders will challenge our assumptions, question our ways and means, bring new approaches to old challenges, and provide vitality and excitement to all that we do. We will create a well-lit succession path that ensures tomorrow’s leaders are keenly aware and integrated into the fabric of our industry.”
The 2018 Executive Summit will be held Jan. 24-26 at the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, CA.