MASON, Ohio—Pete Bridgman, who has been general manager of LensCrafters within the Luxottica Retail North America group, and joined the brand a year ago to implement its expansion and digital transformation, will be leaving the company, VMail has learned.

Giorgio Candido, currently CEO of Salmoiraghi & Vigano, the Italian optical retail chain recently acquired by Luxottica Group, has been named general manager of LensCrafters to succeed Bridgman. Candido will take on his new role immediately.

The changes were communicated internally here today by Massimo Vian, CEO of product and operations of Luxottica (NYSE:LUX) who thanked Bridgman for his contributions to the company and introduced Candido to the leadership team at LensCrafters.

Bridgman was named general manager of LensCrafters in February of 2016 and has since led the introduction of a new store design and more advanced exam technology, among other initiatives for the chain. Before that, he was general manager of Pearle Vision for two years and previously served as vice president of strategy for EyeMed. A Luxottica spokesperson told VMail that Bridgman will work with Candido on a smooth transition before he leaves.

Luxottica first invested in Salmoiraghi & Vigano in 2012. In November of 2016, as VMail reported Luxottica exercised an option to acquire the remaining 63.2 percent stake in the group. Salmoiraghi & Vigano operates approximately 430 stores throughout Italy.

The Luxottica spokesperson noted, “Giorgio is a seasoned and well-respected leader with 30 years of retail experience, which included 25 years leading large supermarket chains. For the past five years, he led the turnaround of Salmoiraghi & Vigano, Italy’s largest optical retailer, emphasizing the doctor-patient relationship and superior customer experience.”