Specsavers Canada, Inc. announced Wednesday the appointment of Jane Hoban as Managing Director effective March 1. The appointment comes as Specsavers marks five years of operations in Canada, growing from its first location in B.C. to more than 270 stores across nine provinces and one territory, said the company.
As Managing Director, Specsavers said Hoban is setting the direction for the next phase of ambitious growth, expanding the organization’s reach to serve millions more Canadians and driving forward an objective to make it the number one provider of eyewear and eyecare in Canada.
Through Hoban’s visionary leadership, she is focused on accelerating the company’s purpose to change lives through better sight with a commitment to bringing high-quality and accessible eyecare to more Canadians, said the brand.
“I’m deeply honoured to lead Specsavers Canada at such an exciting inflection point,” said Hoban. “In just five years, the Canadian team has made significant strides in our mission to change lives through better sight, supporting over a million Canadians, and making quality eyecare accessible with more than 270 stores across the country.”
Still, too many Canadians face barriers to proper eyecare, whether due to cost, convenience or simply not understanding the importance of regular comprehensive exams, said the company.
“This is the opportunity ahead: continue to expand and strengthen the awareness of our brand and unique offering in Canada, while building on our strong Partner network to join us in the next chapter of our transformational growth journey,” added Hoban.
“Building on the success of the first five years in Canada, we are well-positioned to drive the business forward and I’m excited to work alongside our incredible optometry and retail Partners, store teams, and corporate colleagues to shape the future of Specsavers in Canada.”
She joins Specsavers Canada from the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) business, where she most recently served as Trading Director, leading product, marketing, PR and e-commerce. During her seven-year tenure with Specsavers ANZ, she held progressive leadership roles including Director of Marketing and Director of Trading Development, helping drive significant growth and market penetration across the region.
“With more than 20 years of experience across retail, fast-moving consumer goods and consumer marketing, Jane brings a wealth of strategic brand building and operational expertise to her new role,” said the company.
“Prior to Specsavers, she served as Global Marketing Director at Unilever for T2 Tea, where she led marketing strategy across all channels and markets. Jane held several other senior leadership roles within Unilever, including Vice President for Global Drug Channel & AS Watson and Customer Marketing Director in Singapore. She also served as Marketing Director at The Body Shop, Asia Pacific, where she was an Executive Board Member. In that role, she was responsible for strategic oversight and brand governance across 15 markets, championing market-specific retail growth strategies and category innovation.
“Jane holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management and Marketing from Swinburne University of Technology and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.”
Since entering the Canadian market in 2021, Specsavers said it has rapidly expanded to become one of the country’s leading optical providers, with locations across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon. The optical retailer opened more than 130 new stores in 2025 alone.
Bill Moir had been Managing Director of Specsavers Canada and now joins the Global team in a new role as Chief Customer Officer.
“Jane’s appointment represents an important milestone in Specsavers’ Canadian journey,” said Moir. “Her proven business acumen combined with her deep understanding of the Specsavers model, makes her the ideal leader for our next chapter. I’m confident that under Jane’s leadership, Specsavers will continue advancing our mission to make quality eyecare accessible to all Canadians.”
Founded in the UK over 40 years ago by optometrist husband-and-wife team, Doug and Mary Perkins, there are now more than 2,700 Specsavers healthcare businesses globally, serving over 44 million patients and customers.
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