Essilor launches ?ambitious? employee shareholding plan

Last week, the global lens manufacturer unveiled what it described as an “ambitious” international plan to promote and expand ployee shareholding around the world to “consolidate and further develop its ployees’ involvent in the group’s growth and success”.Through the plan, Essilor aims to allow 50% of its ployees to own shares in the company, compared to the current 20%.Essilor chairman and chief executive officer Mr Hubert Sagnières said, “In order to uphold Essilor’s strong culture, we want to encourage the long-term commitment of our ployees worldwide through ployee ownership, which is one of our great strengths.“Our goal of reaching 50% of ployee shareholders is in line with that ambition. The continuous and sustainable growth of the company is founded on the strength of our mission – ‘Improving lives by improving sight’ – and on our desire to share the value generated by Essilor as widely as possible.“Our ployees’ participation in Essilor’s share capital ensures that their interests are aligned with those of the shareholder community as a whole.”According to Essilor, ployees have always been the company’s largest shareholder, and they currently own more than 8% of its global share capital, with three directors representing ployee shareholders sitting on Essilor’s board of directors.The company noted that it was also committed to enhancing the financial knowledge of all its ployees worldwide.“This ambition to grow and further strengthen the group’s shareholding culture extends to every country in which Essilor operates and all ployees, regardless of their job status,” a company statent read.