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Connie Achman
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
X-Cel Optical Company
Sauk Rapids, Minn.
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Chosen Because...…“Connie never stops inventing new strategies.
Whether it’s something as simple as flowers in the reception area or as
complicated as progressive lens technology, she leads and influences the
staff at X-Cel in ways that are both equally important.”
Responsible for sales and marketing at X-Cel,
Connie Achman works with her team to expand business opportunities
through new products while respecting X-Cel’s long history of being a
supplier of unique, small volume products. Achman spent seven years in
sales and marketing of intraocular lenses and then 14 years with
Transitions Optical before moving to X-Cel.
“It’s very exciting being part of a small company where the
decisions you make immediately impact the business,” said Achman. Her
greatest work challenges are keeping up with the changes in the industry
and how they affect the business. On the home front, Achman works to
stay in touch with people who are important to her and…potty train her
new dog!
SHE SAYS…“I’ve been blessed with strong mentors who continue to
drive me to grow and step outside my comfort zone. There are so many
people who have influenced me in my career, often in ways I didn’t
expect. Hopefully, they all know what they mean to me. I’m inspired by
‘what’s next’ and making a difference in some small way.”
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Nancy Bernard
National Sales Director
ClearVision Optical
Hauppauge, N.Y.
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Chosen Because...“Nancy is the ideal leader. A great business
woman and a wonderful person, she oversees the company’s award-winning
sales and customer service teams and has been called a true icon in the
organization.”
Some 22 years ago, Nancy Bernard was
about to take a job in another industry when she went in for her last
interview with ClearVision’s David Friedfeld. “When the interview ended I
knew that optical would be a great fit and would provide me with an
outstanding career opportunity,” said Bernard. She was brought in to
assist David and Peter Friedfeld in sales and marketing and to help the
ClearVision team grow a small, successful family-owned business into a
national entity.
During her two decades with the company, ClearVision has grown
from 15 sales consultants to 76, they have added five regional sales
managers, as well as a business development manager. As director of
sales and a member of ClearVision’s Executive Team, Bernard helps
address day-to-day and future business objectives of the entire company.
In her role as director of sales, she focuses on increasing
business, developing key account programs, hiring and expanding the
company and working with the sales team.
SHE SAYS...“We have seen enormous advancements and changes in
many areas. Information technology has brought the world to our
fingertips. To succeed, we must recognize that change is inevitable and
we must proactively look toward the future in order to prepare for what
is to come.”
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Rhona Hutton
Vice President
Colors in Optics, Ltd.
New York,
N.Y. |
Chosen Because...“Rhona Hutton has been vice president of Colors
in Optics for over 25 years. She is called the ‘lifeblood of the
company’ thanks to her vision of what is fashionable and chic, as well
as salable, in today’s diverse market.”
Crediting husband Sanford Hutton,
president of Colors in Optics, as her mentor and the person who
introduced her to the optical industry, Rhona Hutton has been in the
eyewear business for over 30 years. As vice president, Hutton heads up
the design team for the company’s sun and optical divisions and works
closely with licensors to interpret the personality and lifestyle of
each individual brand.
Hutton’s role is not only to maintain style and quality, but to
find the right partners and licensors to compliment and add to the
company’s roster of brands. She also works closely with the marketing
team to ensure that the proper strategies are in place for the marketing
of the company’s retail brands from major ad campaigns to sales.
“It is important to be open and offer product that offers
quality, value and style. I love my job because I love to be creative,
have the ability to work with great people and make a difference in the
fashion eyewear community,” Hutton said.
SHE SAYS...“I truly believe you have to be passionate. It is very
important to be passionate, optimistic and confident about what you do.
Because I am, I am happy to come to work and feel like I am
contributing everyday.”
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Diane C. John
Vice
President of Business Development
Red Tray, HMI Buying Group
Vicksburg, Miss.
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Chosen Because...“She has effectively launched a whole new
business in three short years. Her negotiations with key suppliers have
led to partnerships with the leading optical labs.”
Diane John joined the Hayes Companies in 1991 and
has never looked back. From directing the sales/marketing and product
development for Hayes Marketing, Inc., to the planning, developing and
implementing sales/marketing strategies for the HMI Buying Group, John
continues to bring new ideas to the table. She recently launched a new
business model for Red Tray Purchasing Alliance, and in three years,
took this start-up business with no members to a multimillion dollar
division with members in 43 states, all during one of the toughest
economies in recent history.
She also launched two new online communities: Dr. Hayes Blog and
Red Tray Radio podcasts. John loves the diversity of skills required to
do her job including being both a strategist and an implementer of those
strategies.
SHE SAYS...“Always play ‘up.’ Whether it’s taking your career to
the next level or raising the level of your tennis game, be confident
enough to seek out talented, successful people to work with, compete
against, and learn from.”
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Corinne McCormack
Vice
President and Fashion Director
FGX International
New York, N.Y. |
Chosen Because…“She is an active leader in the industry, through
her involvement in the Optical Women’s Association (OWA) and the Vision
Council, working to get more recognition for reading glasses and
accessories, crafting a ‘fashion’ message for eyewear.”
With the acquisition of her company in 2009 by FGX
International, one of the largest designers and manufacturers in
non-prescription reading glasses and sunglasses, McCormack took on the
new role of the vice president and fashion director. With her new title
she became the first female VP at the company, bringing more than 30
years of combined experience in eyewear and retailing accessories to
oversee the design and development of the Corinne McCormack line of
readers, sunreaders and accessories and to analyze fashion trends and
bring fashion advice and expertise to FGX International’s several
existing brands (Foster Grant, Magnivision and others).
McCormack started her non-prescription reading glass business
more than 15 years ago out of her apartment in New York City after
several years working for other fashion companies. Today, the
entrepreneur’s eyewear is available in more than 2,000 retail locations.
McCormack, also a VM Influential Woman in 2004, is a leader in
the industry, actively involved or serving, on several boards, such as
the OWA (past president and board member since 2009; chair of the
nominating committee from 2007 to 2009, now chair of the program
committee) and The Vision Council (chair of marketing communications
committee for two years, chair of fashion & lifestyle task force for
four years). She worked closely with the Vision Council to get more
recognition for reading glasses and accessories, and has helped the
organization on crafting a “fashion” message for eyewear.
SHE SAYS...“No one can do it alone—the collaboration of a team
creates success.”
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Mary Nyitray
Owner
Optical Arts
Toledo, Ohio
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Chosen Because...“Mary has nurtured Optical Arts from a small,
simple optical shop to a regional resource where unsurpassed eyecare and
ultra-fashionable eyewear are the focus of the business.”
Mary Nyitray describes her career at Optical
Arts simply by saying, “Because it is a small business, I wear all the
hats.” The hat she’s put on most recently is designer and decorator for
her Toledo-based optical boutique, the remodeling of which was completed
in May and included having walls moved “to help with patient flow.”
Nyitray’s parents opened Optical Arts 48 years ago and she has
been working here for the past three decades, taking over leadership
from her father in 1988. “I was a receptionist and it gave me a really
good foundation. I could step back and see how people responded to the
opticians,” which she says helped her in dealing with customers.
From that time on, she’s been adamant about the fact that
opticianry is well-suited for women. “I think the women have a real
knack for frame selections, styling and adjustments. We also have better
communication ability, more compassion for customers,” she said.
Nyitray’s theory for success is to go beyond the basics of what a
customer tells you and to focus on educating them. She believes that in
talking to customers, you find out what they really need and how
different products might help in different aspects of their lives.
SHE SAYS...“Finding out what people do and how they’re going to
use their glasses is more than just order-taking. We should be delving
in more and suggesting things for the patient to make their lives
easier.”
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Melissa Scoppettone
President
Ron's Optical
Livermore, Calif. |
Chosen Because...“She is always positive and willing to try
something new.”
“I generally say I was born into the
industry,” Melissa Scoppettone said. Her father, Ron Scoppettone,
founded Ron’s Optical in 1974 out of his garage and, as a child, Melissa
was told that the company was her legacy. After a career in accounting,
she became president five years ago and has since geared the company on
a more fashion-oriented route, adding accessories like readers and
chains in the process.
Currently, Scoppettone is working on creating a more stylish,
modern answer to the question of men’s eyeglass cases, taking them away
from the strictly utilitarian purpose they served years ago. “Having the
woman’s touch on things definitely brings a new aspect of fashion to
the company,” while adding that the case industry is still predominantly
run by men. She is also interested in “getting practices to realize
their potential as a retail center.”
“Everyday I get to come to a place that has so much history for
me and is very much a part of who I am. Running this business has been
my dream since I was a young girl and seeing that dream become a reality
has been amazing,” she admitted.
SHE SAYS...“I feel honored to be a part of a new generation
that’s coming up in the optical world and creating a new aspect to the
accessory and cases field. I feel really proud to have taken over this
business that my father put so much into and gearing it more toward
women and having that female touch that wasn’t here.”
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Beverly Suliteanu
CMO, Creative Director & Vice President Product Development
Wescan Optical
Montreal, Canada
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Chosen Because...“Beverly has developed several product lines for
Wescan all bearing her signature creative stamp which has helped
generate incredible growth for the company in the last six years.”
Like many adults, Beverly Suliteanu
credits her father as her biggest mentor. “He taught me that to evolve
and grow as an individual I have to always believe in myself, not be
afraid to take chances and that it’s okay to sometimes make mistakes,”
said Suliteanu.
Her admiration takes on new facets when you learn that she grew
up in the business and her father founded Canada’s Western Optical
almost 50 years ago. She joined the company in sales but had her eyes on
product development. Six years in sales and spending her Saturdays
working in a dispensary and she realized her goal having acquired a true
understanding of the needs of their customers.
“Experience in sales is invaluable. It allows you to truly
understand what is important to your customers,” stated Suliteanu. To
this day, she still maintains a small group of clients in order to keep
her eyes and ears on the market, in addition to her primary
responsibilities for the development and design of six collections,
three of which are sold internationally, and the management of the
portfolio of brands the company distributes in Canada.
SHE SAYS...“It is important for women to trust their talent and
not be afraid to speak their mind. Women are strong, forward-thinking
and caring. Combine this with a practical approach to fashion and
business and it’s easy for women to make a difference in this industry.”
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Jennifer Taylor
Executive Vice President and CFO
Eye Care Centers of America
San Antonio, Texas |
Chosen Because...“Her dedication and passion for the business has
led to her success at ECCA…her hands-on, ‘Texas’ style continues to
inspire all stakeholders to be the best they can be.”
After three years at accounting giant Price
Waterhouse, Jennifer Taylor joined the Eye Care Centers of America
(ECCA) optical chain 13 years ago as vice president and controller; she
was promoted to her current position as executive VP and chief financial
officer late in 2008.
In her role as executive VP/CFO, the Houston native is
responsible for overseeing the financial and accounting activities of
the retail arm of HVHC, which includes more than 525 stores under a
variety of brands. Taylor helped with the financial transition after
HVHC acquired ECCA in August 2006, and that experience has helped her
professional development, she said, noting, “I’ve found it’s important
to embrace change, which is not always a strength of financial people.
Change can be scary, but then you move on to build a stronger
organization.”
SHE SAYS...“Women in the optical business have definitely made
progress since I started with ECCA in 1997. Everyone has come to view
women and men more equally, recognizing their individual strengths and
weaknesses.”
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Jenny L. Webb
Co-Owner
Downtown EyeCare
Marquette, Mich.
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Chosen Because...“Jenny’s personality is a model for her staff
when it comes to customer service, and professional dispensing and she
leads by example in the marketing abilities. She is active in community
involvements and a role model for all of us.”
Jenny L. Webb came out of early retirement in
2005 to move 450 miles away from her home outside of Detroit to
Marquette, Mich. There, she opened Downtown EyeCare with her husband Jon
Webb, OD, whom she calls her “partner in crime.”
In the five years since moving to Marquette, Webb and her husband
have also started a vision program for the uninsured in the area. With
the help of the Medical Care Access Coalition (MCAC), Downtown EyeCare
gives patients free eye exams and then provides them with frames from
Cherry Optical lab at a minimal cost.
Webb credits her parents for “teaching me how to treat people,”
and also mentions her co-workers at both labs as mentors. “We would not
have built either practice if it were not for their support...they are
dear people in my life,” she said.
As for staying interested in the field after all these years?
“It’s really easy to stay passionate because everything is always
changing. It’s a cool balance of medical and fashion and it always has
something that keeps me intrigued,” Webb said.
SHE SAYS...“Back before women were more involved in day-to-day
operations, glasses were definitely a medical device. But you’re doing
much more. And patients will come back because they know they look good.
Women are the ones fitting the personalities and not just the person.”
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Diane G. Wilson, OD
President
Arnold EyeCare Center
Arnold, Mo. |
Chosen Because...“Dr. Wilson leads by example. She has standards
for performance and a desire to serve others that I have never witnessed
before…Always positive and encouraging, she is a terrific person. I am
honored to work for her.”
Diane Wilson, OD, vividly remembers coming to
Arnold EyeCare as a child, especially for her father, who suffered
ongoing eye problems as a result of an eye injury in the ’70s. “I saw
the impact that it had on my family. I had exposure to the field and how
it affects people’s lives,” she said.
Today, Wilson is the president of Arnold Eye
Care, where she
has worked for the past 22 years. She mentions co-workers Mary Beth
Scaglione and Leah Vail as mentors, speaking highly of both women’s
proclivity to build relationships with their customers.
Wilson has been very involved in her field, serving as a member
of the Pennsylvania and DelVal chapters of VOSH (Volunteer Optometric
Services to Humanity), the AOA and Missouri Optometric Association. She
is also an active member of her church and the Arnold Rotary Club—from
which she won the Paul Harris Award—as well as a Vision See and Vision
USA provider.
Wilson also organizes yearly mission trips to Haiti and
Guatemala. “I like the fact that I have a skill that I can take to
underdeveloped countries and I have something to offer to them. The
skill of optometry is easily transferable to other parts of the world.
We can provide something very immediate—glasses, diagnosis, arranging
treatments.”
SHE SAYS...“Focus your time and energy on what’s really important
to you and always try to maintain a balance. And bring a grateful heart
to the service.”
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