Specsavers Appoints Jane Hoban as Managing Director to Lead Next Phase of Canadian Expansion

New leadership in place as company marks fifth anniversary and continued expansion in Canada

BURNABY, BC, March 11, 2026 /CNW/ - Specsavers Canada, Inc. today announced the appointment of Jane Hoban as Managing Director effective March 1, 2026. 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.

Jane Hoban - Managing Director, Specsavers Canada, Inc. (CNW Group/Specsavers Canada)

As Managing Director, Jane is setting the direction for the next phase of ambitious growth for Specsavers Canada, expanding the organization's reach to serve millions more Canadians and driving forward an objective to make Specsavers the number one provider of eyewear and eyecare in Canada.

Through Jane'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.

"I'm deeply honoured to lead Specsavers Canada at such an exciting inflection point," said Jane Hoban, Managing Director, Specsavers Canada. "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.

"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," said 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."

Jane 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. 

Proven Track Record in Retail Transformation

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.

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.

Five Years of Disrupting Canadian Optical Retail

Since entering the Canadian market in 2021, Specsavers 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.

Jane's appointment follows Bill Moir's successful tenure as Managing Director of Specsavers Canada, during which the business achieved significant scale and market presence. Moir will join the Global team in a new role as Chief Customer Officer.

"Jane's appointment represents an important milestone in Specsavers' Canadian journey," said Bill Moir, outgoing Managing Director of Specsavers Canada. "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."

About Specsavers

Specsavers is an optometrist-owned business that entered the Canadian market in late 2021. Since then, more than 270 locations have opened across nine provinces and one territory. As part of Specsavers' commitment to accessible eyecare, every Specsavers location is equipped with optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology, which helps optometrists to detect sight-threatening conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, in their earliest stages. 

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. Specsavers is driven by its purpose of "changing lives through better sight" and aims to transform the way Canadians experience eyecare by offering exceptional service, advanced clinical equipment and quality eyewear. For more information, please visit specsavers.ca

SOURCE Specsavers Canada

Media Contacts: Aideen Butler, Specsavers Canada, [email protected], [phone]; Noah Gomberg, Golin (for Specsavers Canada), [email protected], [phone]