MUNICH and FRANKFURT, Germany—Rodenstock Group said that CEO Dr. Giancarlo Galli has left the company “due to differing views relating to the future development of the business.”

The company said that Littmann, a former member of the supervisory board of Rodenstock, will assume Dr. Galli’s duties and responsibilities in the interim. The company stated, “Prof. Littmann has agreed to continue to provide comprehensive support for the implementation of the company’s growth strategy until the selection of an external successor has been completed.”

The temporary appointment of Littmann has been endorsed by Bridgepoint, the European private equity firm and majority shareholder in the Rodenstock Group, which invested in the company in March 2007.

The company noted that Littmann is highly experienced in the consumer goods industry and in the development of high-quality brands. He is a former CEO and Chairman of Hugo Boss AG, among others, and is the founder and current president of the advisory board and CEO of Brandinsider GmbH, Hamburg, a consulting firm for brand strategies. He will be responsible for the overall management of the company, while Dr. Johannes Burtscher will continue to have responsibility for the finance, IT and human resources areas and Dr. Michael Kleer will stay in charge of operations.

Earlier this month, Rodenstock GmbH and the North American optics distributor, Optical Distribution Corporation (ODC) finalized a long-term agreement for the exclusive distribution of the Rodenstock brand in the U.S. market and industry veteran Dave Delle Donne was named chief executive officer of ODC. The moves re-establish Rodenstock’s presence in the U.S. following the collapse in 2005 of a U.S manufacturing and distribution venture in which it had a significant stake. At that time, Delle Donne told VMail, "I look forward to re-establishing a premium brand like Rodenstock in the U.S. market with the support of Lazear Capital Partners, LTD and Rodenstock GmbH.”

In its announcement about the interim CEO, Rodenstock Group in Germany said it would “continue its growth strategy with the expansion of its market leadership in the high-end sector, including further international expansion and selective diversification of its product portfolio to attract new customer groups. Rodenstock’s market environment is driven by a number of factors including increased globalization, demographic and fashion trends. The trend towards fashion glasses and the potential in sports eyewear and [optical] sunglasses will also provide further development opportunities for Rodenstock.”