Q. Please tell me about some of your
priorities as the new general manager
of Carl Zeiss Canada, Vision
Care division.
Q. ZEISS is certainly known as an
innovative company. Can you give us
some hints of some of the new technolo-
gies that ZEISS is currently working
on developing to better address the
vision needs of today's consumer?
A. We have great ECP partners who
deliver the ZEISS brand everyday to
1000s of patients. Our focus is on our
brand, our people and our combined
success. In the short term, we will
continue down our current path and
expand our sales reach and operational
presence. We are growing and will
continue to enhance our customers'
brand with the ZEISS Brand.
Q. As you know, Canadians are
spending more and more time in front
of digital screens. What solutions does
ZEISS Canada currently offer to
protect consumers from the potentially
negative effects of blue light and how
important is offering this type of
protection to ZEISS Canada?
A. The world has changed indeed: we
spend increasingly more time using
digital devices such as tablets, smart-
phones or laptops. For many people,
working at the computer screen has
become an everyday activity, which
often causes computer vision syndrome,
resulting in dry or watery eyes.
ZEISS offers a complete portfolio for
optimum vision in today’s digital
world. Several lens designs are available
for both single vision and progressive
wearers, which take into consideration
that the distance for viewing digital
devices is much closer than with printed
materials. And our eyes need to adjust
quickly, such as when you shift your
focus from your screen to “the rest of
the world”.
Prescribing these lenses in combina-
tion with a blue blocker coating gives
patients the most comfortable vision
solution.
A. Yes, in 2018 ZEISS will be launching
its latest innovation, which addresses
an increasing health concern in Cana-
da: UV protection.
“SEVERAL LENS
DESIGNS ARE
AVAILABLE
FOR BOTH SINGLE
VISION
AND PROGRESSIVE
WEARERS, WHICH
TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION
THAT THE DISTANCE
FOR VIEWING
DIGITAL
DEVICES IS
MUCH CLOSER
THAN
WITH PRINTED
MATERIALS.”
The relationship between the sun and
mankind is as old as humanity itself.
Sunlight enables our plants to grow, and
we need the sun to thrive. But we must
also be careful and protect ourselves
from it. Sunlight can injure our eyes
and destroy our vision if they are left
unprotected. Thus, ZEISS has once
again taken on the role of the eye
health expert and is setting a new gold
standard when it comes to UV protection.
From 2018 onward, all ZEISS prescrip-
tion eyeglass lenses, clear or tinted,
will provide 100 per cent UV protection
up to 400 nm, the highest standard
available. We will communicate more
about this in the coming months.
Q. You have now been with ZEISS for
more than 15 years. Why is ZEISS a
company you believe in so much?
A. When I joined ZEISS, my outlook
was five to seven years. I soon realized
a few things that continue to keep me
here. First of all ZEISS is a great brand
and company to work for. When travel-
ling, I’m stopped on many occasions
by people seeing the ZEISS shield. The
first thing out of their mouth is wow,
“Do you work for ZEISS?” Then it’s
always followed by them telling me all
about ZEISS, the products they have
and family members, who use ZEISS.
It’s a very proud feeling when people
you don’t know tell you that you work
for a great company.
OPTICAL PRISM | March 2018 33