PEOPLE

Elizabeth Yeu, M.D., a board-certified physician and member of Avellino’s scientific and medical advisory board, has also joined the company’s board of directors. Author of hundreds of medical articles, Dr. Yeu is involved in the clinical research of new treatments to improve patient vision and ocular health as an executive committee member of Virginia Eye Consultants.

Yehia Hasad, M.D., has joined Bausch + Lomb as executive vice president of research and development and chief medical officer. Dr. Hasad previously held various roles at Allergan/Abbvie, including leading its global clinical development program.

Envision Research Institute has welcomed its latest fellow, Emma Rangel, selected to conduct research at the Gigi & Carl Allen Envision Research Institute. She will develop research into the process of coping with diagnoses that lead to lifelong conditions of vision loss.

Haag-Streit USA has announced the appointment of Jeff Sieve as chief executive officer, succeeding Ernest Cavin, Ph.D., who left the company to pursue new opportunities. Sieve most recently served as the head of sales for the U.S. refractive business for Zeiss.

Optometry Giving Sight announced the appointment of Sharyn Gallatin as director of development and the retirement of Eric Anderson, former director of donor engagement. Gallatin most recently served as the director of foundations and endowment for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan.

◄ Taryn Ryan has joined Smith as global head of marketing to oversee all aspects of marketing, communications, public relations, and trade merchandising across wholesale, retail, and digital channels globally. For the past five years, Ryan led Oakley as head of brand management in Milan, Italy.

◄ Alessandro Zanardo has been appointed CEO of Thélios. Over the past decade, Zanardo has held a variety of positions at Luxottica Group, such as business development director in Russia, country manager in South Africa, and general manager in Brazil.

Ocutech co-founder and president Henry Greene, O.D., fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and AAO low vision section member, has been elected as chair of the Low Vision Division of The Vision Council.

VSP Global has announced leadership organization changes. Michelle Skinner will move from her position as chief network officer to chief growth officer to lead the newly formed doctor-facing sales organization. Pete Bridgman will assume an expanded role as the new chief network officer to lead network strategy and associated business areas. Chris Warren has been appointed chief legal officer and general counsel and is responsible for legal affairs.

WestGroupe appointed Gayle Bennett as new business development manager for the U.S. Bennett’s 20 years of industry experience includes seven years as WestGroupe’s regional sales manager.

OWA AWARD

The Optical Women’s Association (OWA) announced this year’s honorees of its annual OWA awards: Erinn Morgan, editor-in-chief and editorial director of Eyecare Business magazine, director of social media for PentaVision, and editorial director of Contact Lens Spectrum, will receive the Pleiades Award, recognizing her exceptional dedication and support in advancing the leadership role of women in the optical industry. Laura Dorris, executive vice president and general manager of strategic sales for HEA+PECAA, will receive the Pyxis Award, acknowledging nearly a decade of service and commitment to growing the OWA and promoting it throughout the optical industry. Emerging Leader Award honorees are Jennifer Stewart, O.D., co-founder and chief vision officer for Performance 20/20, and Katie Lauver, vice president of business relations for GPN Technologies. This award recognizes rising stars in the optical industry who display exemplary leadership qualities.

As part of Vision Expo East, on Thursday, March 31, from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m. at Gotham Hall, the OWA Awards Champagne Breakfast will be held to celebrate awardees. The deadline to register for the breakfast is Sunday, March 13: opticalwomen.com/registration.asp.

BUSINESS UPDATES

Black EyeCare Perspective has released a doctor locator to help patients locate Black eyecare providers. The tool has been launched to help increase diversity in vision care, as Black optometrists account for less than 2% of practicing optometrists and ophthalmologists in the United States, according to the organization.

The Canadian Association of Optometrists has endorsed the World Council of Optometry (WCO) myopia management as standard of care resolution, which rests on the three pillars of mitigation, measurement, and management. WCO and CooperVision introduced the resolution in April 2021.