Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Institute president to retire

Jacksonville, FL-Johnson & Johnson (J & J) Vision Care Institute President Phil Keefer has announced his decision to retire Sept. 1 after a 23-year career with the company and more than 40 years in the eye-care industry.

Keefer joined J & J’s vision-care division in 1989 as executive vice president of sales, marketing, professional affairs, and strategic planning. In that role, he oversaw the initial launch of a contact lens brand (Acuvue) and helped expand the product line. In 1993, Keefer was appointed vice president of new business development, where he helped expand the vision-care franchise. He served as managing director/president of multiple regions, including Asia Pacific, the Americas, Latin America, and Japan.

In his current role as president of the Vision Care Institute, Keefer helped create 15 vision-care institutes and nine satellite centers around the world. He also has served on the J & J Vision Care Global Management Board the entire time he has worked for the company.

In addition to fulfilling the responsibilities of his positions, Keefer was chairman of the Contact Lens Institute Board of Governors and also served on several boards, including those of the American Optometric Foundation, VisionWeb Inc., the Vision Council of America, and Prevent Blindness America and its Florida organization. In 2009, the American Academy of Optometry presented him with an honorary fellowship for his contributions to the field.

Before joining J & J, Keefer held positions at Allergan, CooperVision, Optical Radiation Corp., and Polymer Technology Corp. At the latter company, he took the company from start-up status to one with global distribution.

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