James Tan

COO at Eyewear Creations | General Management | Business Development | Brand Building | Trade Marketing

Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

About

A worker and a family man. Currently the Chief Operating Officer at Eyewear Creations, Malaysia's leading luxury & premium eyewear distributor. Experienced in the eyewear industry & exposed vastly to international and multicultural environments with 4 spoken languages & dialects; Actively engaging with global & local partners such as Thelios (LVMH), Marcolin, New Guards Group, Focus Point, Paris Miki, A-Look and more. I have profound interests in the optical industry, family businesses, supply chain sustainability & fashion retail. My core disciplines are mainly management, business strategy, B2B business development, marketing & sales.

Experience

  • Eyewear Creations (8 yrs 1 mo)
    • Chief Operating Officer (Director)
      Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 7 mos

      Eyewear Creations is Malaysia's largest distributor in luxury and niche eyewear. The company is the sole distributor for prestigious brands such as Dior, Fendi, Celine, Tom Ford, ic! berlin etc. Eyewear Creations has a unique B2B approach whereby selective distribution & B2C marketing are heavily integrated in their business model. The Group has a wide network of global partners serving to well over 500 qualitative retailers throughout Malaysia. Career highlights: • Secured the rights to sole distributorship for LVMH eyewear brands such as Dior, Fendi, Celine, etc • Successfully acquired additional distribution rights for Marcolin brands, Tom Ford, Max Mara & Zegna • Facilitate the establishment of new eyewear brands across our company retail portfolio with regards to sales and marketing • Supervise the marketing department and manage projects such as events, sponsorships, and public relations that extends to other industries; Analyse media coverage. • Continuously survey optical stores throughout Malaysia to evaluate their existing store setting; to determine the current trends within the optical industry such as the consumer preferences • Assists in the merchandising of products overseas whilst implementing current knowledge of trends within Malaysia • Manage logistics in correlation with financial activities • Execute business strategies with the intention of improving key aspects within the organisation & fostering a healthy B2B network with clients • Responsible for ensuring that the execution of each brand strategies (distribution & marketing) are in line with their respective Maison's overall ambitions (e.g. Dior, Fendi, etc)

    • Business Development Director
      Jan 2021 - Dec 2024 · 4 yrs

    • Business Development Associate
      Jul 2018 - Dec 2020 · 2 yrs 6 mos

  • Internship Trainee at Optique Paris Miki
    Sep 2019 - Sep 2019 · 1 mo

    • Basic training on the fundamentals of optical dispensing provided by licensed optometrists along with opticians • Basic understanding of key ophthalmic instruments that are vital for optical dispensing • Assisted in sales related activities in cohesion with the optical dispensary practices • Observed etiquette and standard operating procedures of retail stores within the tertiary sector, mainly the optical industry

  • Summer Intern at Eyewear Creations
    Jun 2017 - Sep 2017 · 4 mos

    • Planned and coordinated events (such as workshops and media events). • Actively involved in the company's eyewear ordering and purchasing sessions. • Attended business conferences overseas and held meetings with the likes of Marchon Eyewear & Sun Hing Vision Group Ltd. • Provided reports on forecasts and ROI of marketing activities. • Consistently reviewed and edited social media contents. • Answered a high volume of emails from customers and high profile principals.

  • Barista at Lorem Ipsum Cafe
    May 2016 - Jun 2016 · 2 mos

    • Prepared food and drink items consistently and in compliance with recipes, portioning, cooking and waste control guidelines. • Actively involved in cost control, sanitation, menu development, training, recruitment, private dining and catering. • Regularly interacted with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.