PITTSBURGH—As part of an ongoing strategy to “invest in the parts of our business that we believe will give us a long-term strategic edge,” as HVHC president and chief executive officer Dave Holmberg put it, the company—parent of Davis Vision and Viva International Group, plus the Eye Care Centers of America and Empire Vision retail chains—has added or reassigned some new executives and let some others go in the last few months.

 
 Mick Kunish
On May 1, Viva announced the promotion of Mick Kunish to executive vice president and chief marketing officer, and named Drew Donley to the new position of senior vice president, domestic sales, overseeing the areas of retail sun, specialty retail, domestic optical and Canada.

Kunish, who joined Viva in 2001 as director of business development, is now responsible for overseeing brand design, marketing, creative development, business development and public relations.

Donley has served in leadership roles at Marcolin, Luxottica and Charmant; in his new position, he takes on sales responsibilities formerly held by Phil Turnage, who recently left the company.

 

 Drew Donley

Other key executives who have left HVHC divisions in recent months include Larry Gabel, long-time chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Davis Vision, and Empire Vision veteran Alan Thrower, who resigned as that chain’s COO in December.

“Our strategic plan is designed to position us to have a sustainable business in the long term,” Holmberg told VM in an exclusive interview.

“As part of our strategic changes, some positions have been eliminated.” Less than 20 people overall, representing “a variety of positions,” have been let go, he noted, adding, “We‘re not doing anything from a defensive standpoint—we‘re being very proactive.”

Holmberg said, “This is an extraordinary time. People need to be very hands-on with their businesses right now, and that’s what we’re doing—making sure we’ve positioned our business right for the future by making moves to strengthen each part.”

—Cathy Ciccolella