Karen Walsh Appointed to Lead CooperVision Global Professional Affairs

SAN RAMON, Calif., — Responding to its continued global growth and expanding partnerships with eye care professionals (ECPs) worldwide, CooperVision announced the creation of a unified, full scope Global Professional Affairs organization. The group will be led by Karen Walsh, MC Optom, PGDip, FAAO, FIACLE, FBCLA, who has been promoted to Senior Director in conjunction with the development.

“ECPs are central to patient prescribing choices and influential advocates whose views and decisions shape the contact lens category. Establishing a singular, ECP-led Global Professional Affairs team will better inform our product development, commercialization strategies, scientific publishing, product support and education outreach,” said Simon Seshadri, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Life Cycle Management, CooperVision. “Working hand-in-hand with their regional Professional Affairs colleagues, Karen’s group will help CooperVision colleagues and our customers thrive as the eye care and ocular health sectors evolve.”

Dr. Walsh is a widely recognized ophthalmic opinion leader. Prior to joining CooperVision in 2021, she built international acclaim as an educator, researcher, and author at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo. Following a decade working in clinical contact lens-focused practice, she also served with Johnson & Johnson Vision as Professional Affairs Manager for the U.K. & Ireland. Dr. Walsh is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, and the British Contact Lens Association. She also is a member of the U.K. College of Optometrists and holds a post-graduate diploma in clinical optometry from City University, London.

During her CooperVision tenure, Dr. Walsh has been instrumental in translating scientific knowledge into clinical practice for the MyDay®, clariti®, Biofinity®, and Avaira Vitality™ contact lens brand portfolios, as well as cultivating information and insights from ECPs worldwide to support strategic planning. She has continued to be an in-demand speaker at CooperVision customer events as well as prominent industry conferences.