The company, which operates 105 stores itself and franchises another 95, issued a statement saying Simon Innes had resigned with immediate effect.
A management team from French parent company GrandVision has taken over the running of the company in Britain and Ireland.
No reason was given for the departure of Innes and no further details were available as optician went to press.
Innes joined the company in 2000, as the third boss in as many years, following its acquisition by GrandVision in 1997. Innes himself was not available for comment.
Industry insiders said they were not surprised at the departure, as the company has not been performing well (News, August 29), and rumours have been circulating for some time.
While GrandVision's profits in Europe went up 8 per cent in the first half of 2003, UK and Ireland suffered a drop in sales from E120m to E104m, excluding 95 franchise businesses.
Neither Innes' departure nor VE's results are believed to be the cause of last month's failed takeover of GrandVision by private equity group PAI.
Marcel Cezar, who is little-known in the UK but understood to be a GrandVision employee, has been appointed chairman, and experienced senior manager Alain Bruguerolle is to move to the UK to take up a products and logistics role. There are no changes to the other management positions.
GrandVision general manager Elie Vannier was fined E15,000 last week by the French stock market regulator for passing privileged information to analysts, Le Monde reported (September 25).The managing director of Vision Express resigned on Tuesday (September 30), sparking speculation about the future of the 200-strong chain in the UK.
The company, which operates 105 stores itself and franchises another 95, issued a statement saying Simon Innes had resigned with immediate effect.
A management team from French parent company GrandVision has taken over the running of the company in Britain and Ireland.
No reason was given for the departure of Innes and no further details were available as optician went to press.
Innes joined the company in 2000, as the third boss in as many years, following its acquisition by GrandVision in 1997. Innes himself was not available for comment.
Industry insiders said they were not surprised at the departure, as the company has not been performing well (News, August 29), and rumours have been circulating for some time.
While GrandVision's profits in Europe went up 8 per cent in the first half of 2003, UK and Ireland suffered a drop in sales from E120m to E104m, excluding 95 franchise businesses.
Neither Innes' departure nor VE's results are believed to be the cause of last month's failed takeover of GrandVision by private equity group PAI.
Marcel Cezar, who is little-known in the UK but understood to be a GrandVision employee, has been appointed chairman, and experienced senior manager Alain Bruguerolle is to move to the UK to take up a products and logistics role. There are no changes to the other management positions.
GrandVision general manager Elie Vannier was fined E15,000 last week by the French stock market regulator for passing privileged information to analysts, Le Monde reported (September 25).The managing director of Vision Express resigned on Tuesday (September 30), sparking speculation about the future of the 200-strong chain in the UK.
The company, which operates 105 stores itself and franchises another 95, issued a statement saying Simon Innes had resigned with immediate effect.
A management team from French parent company GrandVision has taken over the running of the company in Britain and Ireland.
No reason was given for the departure of Innes and no further details were available as optician went to press.
Innes joined the company in 2000, as the third boss in as many years, following its acquisition by GrandVision in 1997. Innes himself was not available for comment.
Industry insiders said they were not surprised at the departure, as the company has not been performing well (News, August 29), and rumours have been circulating for some time.
While GrandVision's profits in Europe went up 8 per cent in the first half of 2003, UK and Ireland suffered a drop in sales from E120m to E104m, excluding 95 franchise businesses.
Neither Innes' departure nor VE's results are believed to be the cause of last month's failed takeover of GrandVision by private equity group PAI.
Marcel Cezar, who is little-known in the UK but understood to be a GrandVision employee, has been appointed chairman, and experienced senior manager Alain Bruguerolle is to move to the UK to take up a products and logistics role. There are no changes to the other management positions.
GrandVision general manager Elie Vannier was fined E15,000 last week by the French stock market regulator for passing privileged information to analysts, Le Monde reported (September 25).
The managing director of Vision Express resigned on Tuesday (September 30), sparking speculation about the future of the 200-strong chain in the UK.