Bollé Strengthens Commitment to Helmet, Goggle and Sunglass Innovation
Pushes Perfectionism and Innovation with the Recruitment of New Design and Engineering Executives
LYON, France – (October 4, 2021) Bollé is on a mission to lead the helmet and eyewear categories by becoming the innovation leader in both market segments. After opening its EPIC (Excellence in Product Innovation and Creativity) Design Center in 2019, the company’s R&D center now has more than 25 team members working in unison to develop game-changing innovations.
Recent launches coming out of EPIC include cycling helmets made with sustainable materials and lens technology created using AI that examined 20 million color combinations to settle on the world’s best high-contrast lens.
Over the past few months, Bollé has strengthened its expertise with the addition of key industry talent in significant new roles. In addition to continual design innovation and lens technology, the company is also making a significant statement in its commitment to developing sustainable products.
Quentin Chapelain, formerly Head of the Carbon Neutrality project at Air Liquide, has recently joined Bollé Brands as the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Manager, a new position with the mission of defining, coordinating, and developing the Group’s ESG strategy by leading projects and initiatives to further Bollé’s sustainable business model and product offerings.
On the product side, this will result in concrete actions around the company’s different brands. Notably, Bollé has announced the launch of its Spring/ Summer 2022 collection, an urban range of fully eco-responsible cycling helmets with four models and nine color options.
“For Bollé Brands™ Group, this new season is a strategic point in the development process it has initiated in recent months. I am delighted to be strengthening our teams in key posts around three of the pillars that form the foundation of our Group,” said François Benaben, President of the Sport & Luxury Division at Bollé Brands. “This digital acceleration, the intensification of our presence in the field to increase the visibility of our brands, and the strengthening of our ESG strategy will all be major assets to support our future growth, enabling us to consolidate our position among the leaders in the eyewear and sports markets.”
Other key additions to Bollé’s EPIC Center include:
Corentin Daniel brings 17 years of experience working as an engineer with a focus on creating technical hinges and other integrated parts and joins Bollé as the Global Product Engineer, a newly created position. Prior to joining Bollé, Daniel worked as a freelance engineer.
Hugo Distefano joins Bollé as a Global Eyewear Designer. Prior to joining Bollé, Distefano spent eight years working on designs for eyewear and eye sport protection, having most recently served as Product Designer for the Subea Division at Decathlon.
Marco Benetti brings 20 years of experience and will be taking the role of designer and product manager. He most recently served as design and product Manager for ProDesign / Design Eyewear Group based in Aarhus (Denmark).
Camille Tremsal joins Bollé as the RX Manager and Product Coordinator. Tremsal most recently served as the Footwear Product Manager for Salomon.
The expanded team will allow Bollé to become even more innovative and committed to its goals than ever before.
“We have a set of core values that we always come back to,” said Tove Fritzell, Director of Product and Innovation for Bollé. “The first is leadership, which means not always taking the easy path, and showing alternative ways of doing things. The second is about advanced design and creativity, which is both creating excellent products but also giving space for experimenting. Then there's perfectionism. Good enough is not good enough. We always like to make something better. Finally, we have reverence for the outdoors because without the outdoors, there wouldn't be a Bollé. We are an outdoor brand at heart, and we need to make sure we minimize our environmental impact and protect our playground. And strive to get more people out as well.”
About Bollé
Bollé is a leader in sport and lifestyle sunglasses, cycling helmets, ski goggles, and ski helmets. For more information, visit www.Bollé.com. Bollé is part of Bollé Brands™ which encompasses the brands Bollé, Bollé Safety, Cébé, Serengeti, Spy and H2Optics. Thanks to the complementary know-hows and innovative technologies developed by the six brands in their respective fields of activities, Bollé Brands’ expertise covers a large spectrum of products that meet the highest requirements in terms of protection, performance, innovation, and style.
