A Master Class in Customer Behavior

NEW YORK—New messages, new programs, new delivery models: seemingly limitless choices abound for today’s consumers. We want what we want, when we want it—and increasingly, we can get it. This new frontier has transformed the nature of products and services transactions as well as the relationship between sellers and buyers, while creating an onslaught of data (33 zettabytes in 2018!) that must be managed, analyzed and protected.

Consumers at the Crossroads of Retail and Tech: The Big Picture

In an informative keynote presentation, global retail expert Deborah Weinswig, CEO and founder of Coresight Research, offered a detailed look at how the cross-currents of retail and technology are shaping the customer experience, and what that means for retailers, suppliers and health care companies.

New England College of Optometry Celebrates Inauguration of President Howard B. Purcell, OD’84, FAAO

BOSTON—On April 7, 2019, the New England College of Optometry inaugurated Dr. Howard B. Purcell as the 13th president at the 125-year-old institution. Purcell, who started in his role nine months ago, was joined by more than 200 people, consisting of family, colleagues from academia, including student and school leaders, community representatives from the greater Boston area and both professional peers and friends from his career in the ophthalmic industry. Purcell is a graduate of the college's optometric program, continuing the legacy of his father, Saul Purcell, OD’54. The ceremony took place at the Edward Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Boston in a recreation of the U.S. Senate chamber.

Alcon Debuts as a Public Company as Shares Begin Trading on New York and Swiss Exchanges

GENEVA, Switzerland—Alcon announced Tuesday that it has completed its separation from former parent company Novartis and has debuted as an independent, publicly traded company. Alcon’s shares began trading Tuesday on the SIX Swiss Exchange and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “ALC.” On its first day, and with more than 10 million shares changing hands, Alcon closed at $58.33. That price is above the $40 to $50 range some analysts had expected, and it would place a value on the company of about $29 billion, according to Barrons.com.

Seeing Is Believing (Or How New Contact Lenses Helped Patrick Reed Win The Masters)

A year ago, 27-year-old Patrick Reed was relatively unknown outside the world of professional golf. But after a drama-filled Sunday—and hearty challenges from some of the biggest names in golf—Reed rolled in a 3-foot putt for par on the 18th hole at Augusta National to win The Masters by one stroke. He picked up his first major championship that Sunday in April a year ago, and all of the notoriety that comes with winning the most prestigious event in golf (if not all of individual sports).