ATLANTA—Visioneering Technologies Inc. (VTI), a global company dedicated to improving vision care, has named Douglas P. Benoit, OD, FAAO, executive director, professional affairs, a new position at the company.

Dr. Benoit will be responsible for working with eyecare professionals to increase awareness and use of the NaturalVue 1 Day Contact Lenses product line and its advanced-technology designs. He also will work with professional organizations and educational institutions to raise awareness of VTI and its NaturalVue products.

“The appointment of Dr. Benoit comes at an important time for VTI, as we expand our sales force nationwide to better meet the needs of additional eyecare professionals and patients,” Sally Dillehay, EdD, OD, MS, chief medical officer, said in a statement. “He is one of the most knowledgeable and well-respected educators and practitioners in the field of contact lenses today.”

Dr. Benoit’s leadership in the contact lens industry spans more than 30 years, including 21 years of service on the executive committee for the American Academy of Optometry’s (AOA) Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses, and Refractive Technologies. He was chair of the section in 2011 and 2012, and earned distinction as a Diplomate in this section of AOA, a title earned by less than 170 ECPs worldwide.

In the announcement, Benoit said he looks forward to contributing to the VTI team and that he believes the NaturalVue Multifocal lenses are unique. “I have participated in research studies with the design, prescribed it to patients for over two years, and I wear it myself,” he said, noting that it’s the only daily disposable multifocal contact lens in the U.S. market with a center distance design. This design addresses a broad spectrum of visual needs, with a full range of powers available in 0.25D steps.