LONDON—Mondottica International announced that its founder and CEO, Michael Jardine, has stepped down from his CEO role effective January 1, 2020. The CEO role has been immediately assumed by Tony Pessok, chief commercial officer, who joined the Group from Perry Ellis International earlier last year, as VMail reported. Jardine will continue as a substantial shareholder and member of the board of directors with the title of founder and honorary chairman. He will continue to work from his office at Mondottica’s headquarters in Hong Kong. Stated Jardine, “We started Mondottica two decades ago and there is a nice symmetry in handing over the reins on the cusp of the new decade to come. We have accomplished much in 20 years and I am now excited to see the new C-Suite bring it to an even greater level in the future.”

Jardine will continue to reside in Hong Kong and remain vitally involved with Mondottica on the board level, while continuing to focus on his vintage eyewear and vintage brands.


Tony Pessok
Pessok said, “I am privileged to be able to step into this role and take the reins of running what is an incredible business, none of which would have been possible without Michael’s guidance and, most importantly, without the dedicated hard work that the whole team perform on a daily basis. We have some incredible brand partners and a varied portfolio which will allow Mondottica to achieve significant further growth over the coming years, elevating us to even greater prominence in the world of eyewear.”

Jardine and his wife, Lene Hoegh, will also spend the coming years establishing a consultancy focused on the environment and sustainability as it relates to the global eyewear industry. “Our planet needs help and every industry needs to undergo radical change if we are to ensure a sustainable future for coming generations. Our remaining time in the optical industry will be spent helping our company and the industry at large, to learn to help and not harm the planet we call home,” he said.

Mondottica International Group now has offices and operations in Hong Kong, London, Paris, Oyonnax, Molinges, Tokyo, Barcelona, Delhi, Moscow, New York and Sydney with distribution reach that spans all continents. The Group holds licenses for a wide range of lifestyle and fashion brands, namely Anna Sui, Cath Kidston, Christian Lacroix, Ducati, Hackett, Joules, Karen Millen, Le Coq Sportif, Maje, Marimekko, Pepe Jeans, Sandro, Scotch & Soda, Sergio Tacchini, Ted Baker (worldwide except USA and Canada) and United Colors of Benetton. It also manages its proprietary brands Cogan, Spine and Zoobug, to ensure that Mondottica is ideally placed to cater to a broad demographic of style conscious consumers, the company said.