Aspect name dropped in company shake-up

The company will now trade as CooperVision, in line with the name of the US-based firm Cooper that bought it almost two years ago (News, November 28 1997). The Hamble, Hampshire business has introduced an 'operating board' with Anthony Galley as its managing director and a new commercial director Ian Bussey. In another development, the company's regional director, Ian McDermott has retired and left the business. Mr Bussey will oversee a sales and marketing team and 'implement the key strategy of presenting the full range of CooperVision products'. Mr Bussey, former company secretary, will play an important role in the day-to-day running of the company, and has been responsible for CooperVision subsidiaries in Germany and Italy. The board also includes Glenn Carroll, finance director, Mike Kelly, technical director and David Cooper, operating director. A spokeswoman for the company said CooperVision aimed to be the number one worldwide supplier of soft toric lenses by the end of next year, and this month's restructuring would help that aim. 'The newly launched Frequency 55 Aspheric and Frequency 55 Toric are the result of Cooper and Aspect's combined expertise,' she said.