The management of Silhouette International Schmied AG has been renewed. The Linz group (Austria) leader in the eyewear and premium optics sector, is back with 1,600 employees, 13 branches (including the Italian one based in Como), 95% exports in over 100 countries and 1.9 million pairs of glasses sold last year, closing the 2018 with a turnover of 163 million euros.
Arnold Schmied Jr, son of the founder and CEO, and Andreas Meier (CFO), the financial and administrative director, after leading the group following strong family values, gave up their operational roles to join the Supervisory Board.
Three new members join the Board of Directors.
Reinhard Mahr, new CFO, has thirty years of experience in international management, and since 2004 he has been financial director of the Austrian pharmaceutical group Kwizda Holding. In Silhouette he will also take on the role of head of human resources, legal affairs, IT and he will be project manager acting as spokesperson for the board of directors and liaison with the property.
Reinhard Mahr is joined by Christian Ender, 43, experiences in Bogner, Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss, who assumes the role of CSO (global sales director) and by the grandson of the company founder Michael Schmied, formerly Silhouette brand manager since April 2019, who will continue as CMO (marketing and communication director) to deal with the strategy for the global growth of the first brand of the Austrian group. Dedicated brand managers for neubau eyewear and Evil Eye, the new sport eyewear brand launched this fall, and for Silhouette Vision Sensation lenses..
Thomas Windischbauer, COO (general manager) of the company since September 2013, will continue to work on research & development, technology and production, as well as quality management.
Ph. From left:Christian Ender (CSO), Reinhard Mahr (CFO), Michael Schmied (CMO) and Thomas Windischbauer (COO) .