DALLAS—Essilor of America (EOA) is merging its multiple sales teams into a single organization, one of a series of moves aimed at making the company more efficient and responsive to customers, company executives told VMail.

“In order to drive sales growth and ensure alignment of our portfolio to each customer needs, we’re reorganizing our ECP sales teams—ELOA sales, partner sales and brand sales—into a single team under Rick Gadd, president of ECP sales and business solutions,” explained Howard Purcell, OD, senior vice president of EOA’s customer development group. “Our objective is to make Essilor easier to do business with. We want to be more efficient, and less complex.”

Gadd had previously served as president of the Essilor Lab Group.

Additionally, EOA is aligning corporate communications, corporate training, industry and professional relations under Purcell, a move that will create “a deeper focus on delivering on and communicating our mission of improving lives by improving sight,” he said.

Purcell also told VMail that EOA is increasing its investment in marketing under senior vice president of marketing, Sherianne James, “to drive new patients to our customers practices.”

Overall, Purcell said the changes indicate that Essilor “is evolving to better serve our customers and prepare for the rapidly changing market. Internally, we’re bringing teams together to help address the changing needs of our customers and the industry overall.”

Purcell emphasized that there are no changes to EOA’s top management team, which is headed by Eric Leonard.

As part of the reorganization, some employees have been reassigned or offered other jobs within the company. “Less than 1 percent of the employees of Essilor of America have been negatively impacted,” said Purcell.