BRIDGEWATER, N.J.— Bausch + Lomb, a unit of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Thursday announced several changes to its U.S. management team that it said are "designed to improve operational efficiencies and foster potential synergies to drive growth." In addition, the company said the changes will “streamline business and accelerate the company’s strategic momentum.”

The leadership changes include:
• Joseph “Joe” Gordon, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. Consumer Healthcare, will expand his role to include the U.S. Vision Care business.
• Tracy Valorie, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. Pharmaceuticals, will expand her role to include the U.S. Surgical business.
• John Ferris, most recently vice president of marketing for Bausch + Lomb’s OTC vitamin portfolio, will serve as the vice president and general manager for U.S. Vision Care, reporting to Gordon.
• Chuck Hess, vice president and general manager for U.S. Surgical, will oversee the daily operations of the business, reporting to Valorie.

"Bausch + Lomb is a critical component of our business, representing 50 percent of our entire company,” Joseph C. Papa, chairman and chief executive officer of Valeant, said in a statement. “These management changes exemplify how we’re continuing to align our resources to be more responsive to the needs of the marketplace by increasing our efficiencies and creating opportunities for potential synergies that will ultimately help drive the company’s overall growth.”

Gordon and Valorie will be responsible for ensuring their respective businesses achieve financial, marketing and sales goals, while increasing operating performance, according to the announcement. They also will oversee business development, R&D, customer education and training.

Gordon joined Bausch + Lomb in 2011 as vice president of global sales and marketing for the company’s OTC portfolio, and he assumed responsibility for the entire consumer health care business in 2013. During his tenure, Gordon has led the Bausch + Lomb consumer health care business to “industry-leading growth for the past five years, boasting key OTC brands such as Soothe XP eye drops, currently the fastest growing OTC dry eye brand, and Biotrue multi-purpose solution, the No. 1 multi-purpose solution in households buying in 2016,” the announcement noted.

With almost three decades of experience in pharma, Valorie has held a number of roles with increasing responsibility in discovery science, clinical development, early commercial assessment, marketing and strategic planning. Since joining Bausch + Lomb in 2013, she has led a strong team of cross-functional employees dedicated to the company’s pharmaceutical product portfolio with an emphasis on identifying growth opportunities in the business.

In his new role, Ferris will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the vision care business, driving all aspects of the U.S. contact lens portfolio. Under his leadership in his previous role, the PreserVision and Ocuvite eye vitamin brands became two of the company’s top-selling products, with combined annual sales of more than $200 million, according to the announcement.

An ophthalmology industry veteran, Hess has been with the surgical business for more than 32 years and a part of Bausch + Lomb since it acquired the Storz Instrument Company in 1997. Since joining Bausch + Lomb, he has led the surgical business’ growth by increasing its market share through R&D and business development activities such as the exclusive intraocular lens (IOL) distribution agreement with HOYA Surgical Optics.

“Joe, Tracy, John and Chuck have all played integral roles in Bausch + Lomb’s growth and will be instrumental as we continue to invest in this core business,” Papa said. “I am confident that their exceptional leadership and expert understanding of this dynamic business will help to further expand the business and drive Bausch + Lomb’s mission and vision forward to deliver advanced, innovative technologies to the broader eye health community.”