Josh Robinson.
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MASON, Ohio—Pearle Vision has appointed Josh Robinson as vice president, licensing & development. He will be responsible for “defining and developing business strategies to grow the Pearle Vision franchise system,” according to an announcement earlier this week. Robinson, a six-year member of the Pearle Vision leadership team, takes the helm on guiding franchise development communications, while also managing vendor partnerships to support franchise growth. Earlier in his career, he was instrumental in the expansion of Dunkin’ Brands, and he brings “a wealth of relevant brand and franchise industry experience to the position,” according to the announcement.

“Josh is a great fit for this role,” Pearle Vision general manager Alex Wilkes said. “He brings a perspective that blends exceptional knowledge of our brand as well as a remarkable franchising acumen. With his familiarity of the Pearle Vision franchise family and the characteristics that make for strong operators, Josh will play a crucial role in growing the brand,” Wilkes added. Robinson succeeds Greg Hare, who left Pearle Vision earlier this year.

Robinson joined Pearle Vision in 2012 and held a territory vice president position. In this role, he led a team of business consultants and territory directors charged with “driving business results and sales plans within both corporate and franchise locations across North America,” the announcement noted.

In addition to Dunkin’ Brands, Robinson held positions at Pepsi, Getty Petroleum and Burger King during his 30-year career. “We have a tremendous opportunity to continue to escalate our brand’s presence through franchising,” Robinson said in the announcement. “Pearle Vision is a dynamic brand that I’ve been passionate about for the past six years and only have even more optimism about for the future. I look forward to growing the brand further, and continuing my involvement in a new capacity.”

Pearle Vision, a unit of Luxottica Retail, operated 474 locations in the U.S. market, including 404 franchised units, as of Dec. 31, 2017. Robinson takes on the licensing and development role as Pearle Vision holds the No. 72 rank among all franchises reviewed and rated by Entrepreneur magazine on its “2018 Franchise 500” list.