Bertrand Roy. Image courtesy of Silmo

PARIS—Bertrand Roy, a longtime optical industry executive, passed away on July 10 at age 67. He most recently served as vice president of the French optical trade show Silmo, which reported the news on LinkedIn. Silmo called him “a man of conviction, leader, visionary, charismatic… [who] always worked for the success of Silmo with his energy and talent.” Born in 1955, Roy began his career in the financial department of Renault where he worked for 10 years, according to the French optical publication, Acuite.

After joining the Essilor Group in 1987 he held various executive roles, including manager of Essilor France, strategic marketing manager for Europe and executive director of Transitions Optical. He influenced Essilor’s acquisition policy, including its buyout of the 51 percent stake in Transitions held by PPG Industries and more recently, its merger with Luxottica.

Passionate about eyecare and vision, Roy was active in GIFO, the French eyewear industry association and ASNAV, the French association for the promotion of visual health. Following his retirement in 2015, Roy actively campaigned for good vision, promoting the message of optical health on social media and other platforms.

Roy is survived by his wife, Josephine, and other family members. A funeral will take place on Friday, July 15 at 3:00 p.m. during a mass which will be held in the Saint-Michel church in Cabourg, France.