VisionSpring Enhances Management Team With New Hire and Promotion

Monday, August 25, 2008

VisionSpring is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Eliassen as Vice President of Sales and Operations, a position responsible for the leadership and management of VisionSpring?s global operations team and the achievement of operational and sales objectives. Mr. Eliassen comes to VisionSpring with a mix of both public and private sector experience, most recently at Unilever, where he served as Associate Finance Manager in the Customer Development group. Prior to completing his MBA, Mr. Eliassen worked for Capital One as an Integrated Operations Project Manager, for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva, and as a consultant for a village-based microfinance network and for micro-entrepreneurs while serving in the Peace Corps in Benin. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in Economics, Mr. Eliassen received his MBA from Thunderbird, where he specialized in Finance and International Development. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in Economics, Mr. Eliassen received his MBA from Thunderbird, where he specialized in Finance and International Development.

VisionSpring is also proud to announce the promotion of Mr. Arunesh Singh to the position of Regional Director for Asia. Previously, Mr. Singh served as Country Director for both India and Bangladesh, a position in which he showed exceptional leadership expanding VisionSpring?s impact in the region. As Regional Director for Asia, Mr. Singh will be responsible for the management and expansion of VisionSpring?s Asia operations and partnerships, including target growth areas such as Bangladesh, China, and the Middle East. Mr. Singh has a wealth of experience in rural marketing and non-profit/social enterprise management. Prior to joining VisionSpring, he served as Program Director for Appropriate Technology India and Area Manager for Nagarjuna Agri Chemical. Mr. Singh received his Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand and his Bachelor of Commerce from Hindu College at Delhi University.

ABOUT VISIONSPRING

VisionSpring is a nonprofit social enterprise that reduces poverty and generates economic opportunities through the sale of affordable glasses in the developing world. ??For the working poor such as tailors, artisans, mechanics, and others in the developing world who rely on clear vision for their livelihoods, the loss of vision with age also means the loss of the ability to work and support a family. While it can be easy to take access to affordable glasses for granted, 400 million people living in poverty whose productivity, self-reliance and dignity hinge on this simple tool lack access to it.? VisionSpring provides a simple solution to this tremendous market failure, empowering local ?Vision Entrepreneurs? with a business toolkit to earn a living selling life-changing glasses.

Source: Press Release (link opens in a new window)