STAAR Surgical Appoints Pascal Aeschlimann Vice President of Asia Pacific, Excluding China

STAAR Surgical appointed Pascal Aeschlimann as Vice President of Asia Pacific, effective November 2, 2026, to lead regional commercial operations excluding China. The appointment was announced by Business Wire. Aeschlimann, who led STAAR's commercial expansion across Asia and the Middle East from 2002 to 2010, returns to the company.

Aeschlimann's Return to STAAR Surgical

Based in Singapore, Aeschlimann will lead STAAR's commercial business across Asia Pacific, excluding China. The company said the region is experiencing rising myopia prevalence, urbanization, growth in its middle class, and a shift in patient and surgeon preference away from lasers to implantable lens-based vision correction solutions.

During his earlier tenure at STAAR, Aeschlimann served as Area Manager for Asia and the Middle East, where he led the company's regional expansion and established its commercial headquarters in Singapore, building out sales, marketing, and clinical capabilities across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. In 2012 he founded SWISSMED Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based ophthalmic medical device distribution business, and grew it into a multi-market regional business across Asia before it was acquired by Transmedic Group in 2022. He subsequently served as Ophthalmology Business Head for Transmedic, and most recently advised on Asian commercial expansion with SJJ Solutions. He holds an Executive MBA from the National University of Singapore.

"Pascal has a long history with STAAR and knows what it takes to build a business in Asia from the ground up," said David Bailey, Chief Commercial Officer. "He has seen firsthand what drives adoption: surgeon confidence, distributor trust, and local execution."

Aeschlimann said his focus will be on accelerating surgeon development, strengthening partnerships with distributors and customers, and building local commercial capability. The company said the appointment reflects its strategy to localize senior commercial leadership across Asia Pacific.

STAAR Surgical's Leadership Changes in 2026

According to akta.pro company records, STAAR's board appointed Warren Foust, President and Chief Operating Officer, and Deborah Andrews, Chief Financial Officer, as interim co-CEOs in February 2026 following CEO Stephen Farrell's resignation, initiating a global search for a permanent chief executive. The same records list Neal C. Bradsher as Chair of the Board.

Earlier Appointments at STAAR Surgical

On October 8, 2026, STAAR Surgical appointed Andrew Pilon as Vice President of Business Development, reporting to CEO Warren Foust, according to FinancialContent Business Page. Pilon previously led business development at Johnson & Johnson Vision, where he expanded strategic partnerships and acquisitions. On October 27, 2026, Stock Titan reported that Foust and Andrews will attend two November investor conferences in New York, where the company will also host one-on-one meetings with institutional investors.

STAAR Surgical's November 4 Earnings Call

STAAR Surgical will release its third-quarter 2026 financial results and host an earnings call and webcast on November 4, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. ET, FinancialContent Business Page reported. The company will also provide a letter to shareholders.