To mark International Women’s Day, we have decided to celebrate female empowerment in the third part of our analysis of the role of women in the eyewear industry (following the first two chapters which were published in November and February).
We start from a fundamental axiom: gender equality has not yet been achieved, not only in our sector but in industry in general, as highlighted in the survey “Gender 3000 in 2021: broadening the diversity discussion” by Credit Suisse Research Institute. The study was carried out on a sample of 33 thousand top managers in over 3,000 companies located in 46 countries, and highlighted how between 2015 and 2021 the number of women with positions on the board of directors rose by 8.9% to more than double the figure of 2010. The beest performances in this direction canbe found in Europe (34%) and North America (28.6%).
A step forward can be seen in the awareness of many organisations of the need to pursue gender equality. Leading the way in this growing awareness is the United Nations, which ranks its importancein fifth place among its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Various international research studies have also focused on the situation of women in the world of business, with results showing that anincrease in the number of women on the board can produce many benefits. These include the Unlocking female employment potential in Europe study, which states that “companies with a significant number of women in senior management roles have a higher turnover. Figures show that for each woman who reaches higher levels of management or the board of directors, the company’s profit increases by between 8 and 13 basis points."
We return to our analysis of the eyewear industry, focusing on the European and U.S. markets. The results confirm the findings of the previous articles: women represent an essential part of our industry.
Italy
In the Bel Paese, both businesswomen and women managers play an important role.
We find one excellent example of female entrepreneurialism in CSO Italia, one of the leading international companies in the ophthalmic sector. Following the demise of the company’s founders, Sergio Mura and Giuseppe Matteuzzi, Veronica Mura became CEO. Mura’s contribution has been fundamental to the growth of the company which she considers, as she herself explains “as a second home, as I grew up here from a very young age”.
In discussing women leaders, it is impossible not to mention Elena Orsi Mazzucchelli, Product Development Manager of her family’s company, Mazzucchelli 1849. A great fan of colours, in these last few years she has been able to interpret and translate the needs of the market into collections. Her strong environmental awareness is worthy of note, as we explained in our magazine: “Also in the creation stage, each of us can do something for the future generations and the future of our planet”.
At the foot of the Duomo in Milan, we find Stefania Mantovani who, supported by a background in fashion, entered the eyewear industry, creating the company Creations with her father and her husband, the exclusive distributor for Italy of the French line François Pinton. “In those years” - Mantovani declared - “we observed the French designs and fell in love with the idea of readopting vintage models that we gradually define and create. So in 2003 we decided to found Epos and imprint it with our own specific character, creating frames with a ‘timeless’ air”. She is currently CEO of Epos.
In the team of Miga Studio, meanwhile, we find the bubbly Lucia Amicarelli in the role of Chief of Coordination for activity in the sales office at Silea, the brand’s distribution centre for Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Lucia herself describes her own role: “I work at close hand with my optician customers to support them when they have specific needs, and I interact weekly with our artistic director, to coordinate publications on our digital channels”.
Germany
One of the new emerging talents to be found at MIDO 2022 is Beate Leinz. After years of professional experience as a designer for leading fashion brands, in 2020 she created her own brand, Leinz contemporary eyewear Berlin which, as she toldWMIDO, “allows her to design eyewear with a soul”.
© Foto Angela Mrositzki
Spain
One undeniable example of Spanish creativity is GIGI Studios, led by Patricia Ramo in the position of CEO and Creative Director. Patricia is part of the third generation and began working in the family company at the age of 21. Her goal has always been the creation of a brand that acts as a point of reference for the industry worldwide. The team today consists of over 100 people who work at the highest level possible in a creative, youthful and international context.
Benelux
The Gruppo Marcolin is a company where woman play a key role in management: the company has 194 women (58%) as opposed to 140 men (42%). Among these is veteran Isabelle Moes, a top manager in the Marcolin Benelux branch since 1994. She initially joined Marcolin Benelux as the Chief of Commercial Activity for the Benelux market, before taking on her current role in 1998.
The USA
Let’s move on to the USA, where we find another veteran, Marissa Cundiff, Vicepresident of Marketing for Kenmark Eyewear. Marissa has been in the company for 15 years, working in customer service and product development before joining the marketing division in 2015.
In Miami, Giulia Valmassoi is CEO of the North America department of Thema Optical, founded in 2013. In six years, sales have grown to over 2.5 million dollars and the Thema brands are present on average in 1,000 optical retail stores across the United States. Valmassoi is Chief of Development and Implementation of Business Plans “to increase the profile of the brand and expand business in the United States and Canada, as well as everyday activity”. She is a member of the Emerging Optical Leaders of The Vision Council and of OWA.
Barbados
It may sound strange but in the Lesser Antilles, specifically in the state of Barbados, there is an eyewear brand - Peoples from Barbados - founded and managed by a woman: Alicia Hartman. In 2016, the businesswoman launched a special edition collection to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the island’s independence in her EYE Q Stylist Opticians store. Since then, the collection has grown and expanded, and is now available in exclusive optical and fashion stores all over the world. Charitable initiatives have been a priority for the brand, which tries to give back to the community through special partnerships with local artists, photographers and creatives of the island.