National Vision Appoints Christopher Laden as Chief Financial Officer

Business Wire 26-Feb-2025 5:59 AM

National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) ("National Vision" or the "Company") today announced the appointment of Christopher Laden as Chief Financial Officer, effective March 31, 2025. He will succeed Melissa Rasmussen who, as previously announced, will step down from the Company, effective March 3, 2025.

"We are thrilled to welcome Chris to National Vision. He has a proven track record of successfully developing finance organizations into strong cross-functional business partners by focusing on accountability, employee development, and driving efficiencies through the use of digitization. His experience in both the service and optical industries will be instrumental as we move forward with our transformation efforts," said Reade Fahs, National Vision's CEO.

Mr. Laden joins National Vision with nearly two decades of experience leading finance organizations in the service and optical industries focused on ERP and technology implementations, modernization of business strategy and operations, and strategic initiatives targeted toward value creation. Mr. Laden most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Community Veterinary Partners, consolidators of veterinary hospitals in the U.S. Prior to this, Mr. Laden served as the Chief Financial Officer for Women's Care and MD Now Urgent Care. Mr. Laden also held various leadership positions at Pearle Vision, a division of EssilorLuxottica, including Head of Finance, where he was responsible for all financial functions and supported the division's efforts in driving significant profitability acceleration through both revenue and cost levers.

"I am excited to join National Vision, a company I have long admired for its leadership position in the optical retail space. I look forward to working with the team during this pivotal time and supporting the organization as we implement the initiatives underway to best position National Vision to drive long-term profitable growth," said Mr. Laden.

As part of this transition, Patrick Moore, who currently serves as a Special Advisor to National Vision and was previously the Company's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, will assume the role of Interim Chief Financial Officer effective March 4, 2025, and will work closely with Mr. Laden to support his transition.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include statements related to our current beliefs and expectations regarding the performance of our industry, the Company's strategic direction, market position, prospects and future results. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "guidance," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "projects," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement as such statements speak only as of the date when made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied in forward-looking statements. Information about factors that could cause National Vision's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in filings by National Vision with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2024, under the caption "Risk Factors," and subsequently filed reports, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and in our filings with the SEC.

About National Vision Holdings, Inc.

National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) is one of the largest optical retail companies in the United States with over 1,200 stores in 38 states and Puerto Rico. With a mission of helping people by making quality eye care and eyewear more affordable and accessible, the company operates four retail brands: America's Best, Eyeglass World, and Vista Opticals inside select Fred Meyer stores and on select military bases, and an e-commerce website DiscountContacts.com, offering a variety of products and services for customers' eye care needs. For more information, please visit www.nationalvision.com.

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