Senior Appointments aid LensWay’s Goal of Becoming the UK’s Leading Optical Fashion Brand

WINDSOR, England, August 31, 2011 -

LensWay.co.uk, part of the world’s largest online optical group, has made two recent senior appointments as it seeks to establish itself as the UK’s leading optical fashion brand, selling brand name prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses online.

Gordon Howie, former Vice President of Finance, Sales and Administration at Rogers Communications in Canada and Peter Lee, previously Vice President at Synacor and Director of Information Technology at Netflix, Intuit and Oracle, have been appointed as Chief Financial Officer and VP of Information Technology at LensWay.co.uk’s parent global eyewear group Coastal Contacts Inc.

Their appointments come at a key stage in the development for the company and the optical industry, particularly in the UK, according to Roger Hardy, Founder and CEO of LensWay.co.uk:

“The appointments of Gordon and Peter are strategically important for LensWay.co.uk as more and more UK consumers transition towards buying their eyeglasses and contacts lenses online rather than paying 2-3 times more at high street opticians.

“Gordon has led the strategic direction of major entertainment and communications brands, Nintendo Canada and Rogers Communications. He also has highly prized experience in the optical sector, as CFO of Eye Masters/Lenscrafters, a leading Canadian retail optical chain. Peter directed IT strategy for Netflix during the launch of its disruptive online streaming movie service which took on established players like Blockbuster and won major market share.

“This blend of experience will help us to step up our activities in the UK, which is one of our most exciting markets. We see huge potential as we know UK consumers are highly in tune with buying high quality brands at affordable prices online. We have seen the explosive growth of UK based online fashion retailers and our goal is to secure similar brand loyalty from people who want stylish eyewear at reasonable prices.”

Gordon Howie joins the group from Rogers Communications, where he was responsible for providing strategic guidance to the retail business unit through a rapid expansion phase. Peter Lee joins the group from Synacor, where he held the position of Vice President, Information Technology.

About LensWay.co.uk

LensWay.co.uk has quickly become the UK’s leading online retailer of vision care products, attributable to a combination of fast delivery, a customer-centric approach and great selection at the lowest possible prices. With headquarters in Windsor, Berkshire, LensWay.co.uk designs, produces and distributes the largest selection of eyeglasses and contact lenses on the internet, including a unique combination of designer eyeglasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, and vision care accessories.  

LensWay.co.uk is part of Coastal Contacts Inc. - founded in Canada in 2000 - which services customers across North America, Asia and Europe through the Coastal Contacts Inc. family of websites including: Lensway.co.uk, CoastalContacts.com, ClearlyContacts.ca, Lensway.com, Lensway.se, ClearlyContacts.com.au, ClearlyContacts.co.nz, Contactsan.com, Yasuilens.com, Maxlens.com, and Coastallens.com.

For further information please contact:
Darren Hutchison, Public Relations Specialist
Email:  inquiry@LensWay.co.uk
Toll-free Phone: 0800-635-5555
International Phone: +1-415-398-2036

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