CHARENTON-LE-PONT, France—Essilor International’s [ISIN: FR 0000121667] board of directors has appointed Hubert Sagnières as chief operating officer, to serve alongside Xavier Fontanet, chief executive officer, and Philippe Alfroid, chief operating officer.

A graduate of Ecole Centrale in Lille and holder of an MBA from Insead, Sagnières joined Essilor in 1989 as president of international marketing. He was appointed president of Essilor Canada in 1991, and president of Essilor Laboratories of America in 1997, then president of Essilor of America. Since 2006, he has been president of the North American and Europe regions, a position that he will continue to hold in addition to his new responsibilities.

Sagnières was also elected to the Essilor board of directors at the company’s shareholders’ meeting on May 14, 2008, at which time it was announced he would be named co-COO in August.