DRAPER, Utah—1-800 Contacts has promoted chief marketing officer Phil Bienert to president and he will continue to hold the chief marketing officer role, as well, according to a spokeswoman. The move to president will expand Bienert’s role to include “broader business and operations responsibilities, in addition to CMO,” the spokeswoman noted. The move comes just a few months after the investment firm KKR agreed to acquire 1-800 Contacts from previous ownership group AEA Investors in a deal that Wall Street observers valued at about $3 billion, as VMAIL reported in September 2020.

In his role as chief marketing officer, Bienert has doubled annual acquisition of new customers since taking on this position in April 2018, the spokeswoman said. She added that the role of president and CMO was "created for Phil to set the brand up for future success and evolution." The promotion to president was effective Jan. 21, and 1-800 Contacts chief executive officer John Graham previously held the title of president from 2016-2018 before being named chief executive officer.

“As a result of pursuing accessible vision care for consumers for the last 25 years, we’ve become so much more than a contact lens retailer," Graham told VMAIL. "As our business continues to evolve and become even more comprehensive, Phil’s new role will be instrumental in our success. We have our sights set on industry-changing, revolutionary development and with the most capable leadership at the helm in Phil, we’re going to continue advancing the industry for the good of consumers on a global scale.”

Beinert received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Texas-Austin’s Red McCombs School of Business.