Juan Carlos Aragón has an inspired outlook. With passion, he describes the DNA behind CooperVision Specialty EyeCare, where he is president of this key division of CooperVision. With training as an optometrist and over three decades of experience in marketing and business development in the global ophthalmic industry, Aragón is a veteran in the vision care arena with a very special focus. Here, he discusses CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s mission, its work to support independent eyecare professionals, and key initiatives on tap for the future.

EB: What is CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s mission?

JC ARAGÓN: [We are] dedicated to addressing the unmet needs of practitioners and patients worldwide whose ocular challenges compromise not only their vision, but quality of life. [We are] committed to providing ECPs a unique combination of best-in-class support along with an unmatched portfolio of life-changing specialty lens designs for myopia management, irregular cornea, and presbyopia management. It is our goal to empower ECPs to differentiate their practices and positively impact patients’ lives.

EB: How does the company support eyecare professionals?

JCA: Specialty contact lenses are still considered somewhat of a “niche” service. We have found that educating newer eyecare professionals—who may not have been taught about specialty lenses in optometry school—has helped to give them an edge in what otherwise is considered to be a crowded profession. We are committed to building or enhancing confidence in new or first-time fitters by providing them with the educational tools and resources they need to succeed.

EB: How did business change the most during the pandemic?

JCA: Part of CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s commitment to creating greater access to life-changing eyecare technologies means providing eyecare professionals with the necessary tools and resources for success. Our goal is to build confidence in first-time specialty lens fitters by introducing new, innovative fitting technologies and software. As such, we put a greater emphasis on providing online/digital service offerings, including the Paragon CRT mobile app, video-based fitting tutorials (called “The Myopia Minute”), as well as a dedicated webinar series.

EB: What can we expect to come in the future from the company?

JCA: I think there will be a continued emphasis in 2023 and beyond on introducing new educational tools and resources aimed at building and/or enhancing confidence in specialty lens fitters. We continue to pair the greatest products and technologies with some of the greatest minds in the industry in order to better serve the eyecare community.

We will continue to invest and play a leadership role in the rapidly growing specialty eyecare market, with a focus on myopia management and irregular cornea/advanced contact lens management. CooperVision Specialty EyeCare will continue to deliver an unmatched portfolio of industry-leading specialty lens designs along with best-in-class support to empower our customers to stand out and change lives.