PARIS—Guy Charlot, a highly visible eyewear industry executive and long-time leader and visionary for Silmo, the French optics exhibition held here, passed away late last month at the age of 85.

A statement issued by the organizers of Silmo said, “As a valued and recognized professional, he truly made his mark through a lifetime entirely dedicated to the optics and eyewear sector.”

Originally from the Champagne region, Charlot graduated from the Arts et Métiers engineering school in 1944. Four years later, he joined the Guilbert Routit company based in Sézanne, becoming its director at the age of just 26. He helped to drive the company's strong growth and, in 1974, he steered the merger of Guilbert Routit with Benoît Berthiot, another French ocular optics company, resulting in the creation of BBGR, an international company which today is the second largest manufacturer in France of optical lenses and the number three European manufacturer of progressive lenses.

Following a long career in the lens industry and posts in various trade union institutions, most notably as administrator of Silmo, Charlot was elected president of the trade fair in 1993. As leader of the event, he significantly expanded the Silmo exhibition, encouraging the development of the fair's offering, accelerating its international outreach and promoting the entire industry thanks, in particular, to the SILMO d’Or Awards, which he championed.

In 2010, Silmo moved to the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre. In the same year, Charlot launched Silmo Academy, a scientific symposium intended for opticians wishing to enhance their skills in the fields of vision and optics.

Silmo organizers also pointed out, “As a visionary skilled in bringing people together, Charlot always fought to strengthen ties between sector stakeholders in France, showcase their expertise throughout the world and harness all available strengths. To this end, in 1999 he created the Maison de l’Optique, an extensive forum for meetings and exchanges close to the Gare de Lyon open to all professionals. And before his death, he endorsed the LEOO Foundation (Les Entreprises de l’Optique Ophtalmique - Ophthalmic Optics Companies), a professional organization with a dual objective to federate and represent optics and eyewear companies based in France and to promote initiatives designed to improve quality and raise the profile of the sector. With this ultimate institution representing the culmination of a fulfilled life's ambition, Guy Charlot will leave his mark for many years to come.”