PARSIPPANY, N.J.--Safilo USA has appointed Timothy Parker to the newly created position of director of product development.

Parker, who will oversee Safilo USA’s product development department, will be responsible for managing the overall development process, design direction and trend forecasting for all domestic-based licensed, proprietary and private label eyewear brands sold by Safilo in North America. Parker will additionally work closely with Safilo Group’s product development department in Padova to select the appropriate ophthalmic and sunwear products for distribution in the U.S. market from the company’s European designed collections.

Prior to joining Safilo, Parker held the position of vice president of product development for Lantis Eyewear. Previously, Parker has held executive level and management positions in merchandising and buying at Sunglass Hut International, The North Face, Inc., Macy’s West and South and 1928 Jewelry Company.

“Timm brings a wealth of eyewear knowledge and experience to our organization,” said Claudio Gottardi, president and chief executive officer of Safilo USA. “His wide-ranging skills in design, development, merchandising, planning and management made him a perfect candidate for this newly created position. We very much look forward to his creativity and input which will ultimately help us better serve our customers.”