Eyewear brand and optical retailer Ace & Tate is taking the next step in its company story. Founder Mark de Lange is exchanging his position as CEO for that of Chief Brand Officer, making way for Lex van de Vliet. “At some point, a company needs a fresh perspective,” says De Lange in a joint interview with FashionUnited.

Ace & Tate was founded 11 years ago by De Lange. The eyewear brand, which later also became an optical retailer, quickly built a reputation as a ‘disruptor’. “I never really liked that word,” says the founder, “because it suggests that we’re also breaking something. The customer experience was and is central to us, but the way we achieve it might be different. If the means by which we achieve this goal shakes things up, then that's fine. But we're not a disruptor for disruption's sake.”

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Ace & Tate founder Mark de Lange. Credits: Ace & Tate

Under De Lange's leadership, Ace & Tate has grown into a chain with 85 stores across Europe. Under the new CEO, with support from De Lange, this number is expected to double, and Ace & Tate will further specialize in eyecare. While the brand is currently best known for its stylish eyewear, Ace & Tate now wants to work on further developing the service aspect: eye care. Of course, the trendy eyewear and modern image of Ace & Tate will be retained. All of this should ensure that Ace & Tate becomes the leading optical brand in Europe.

From Disruptor to Future-Builder: Ace & Tate Takes the Next Step in its Evolution

The fact that Van de Vliet was found as the new CEO is described as a stroke of luck. De Lange had been discussing the handover of CEO duties with his co-shareholders since the end of 2023. One of these shareholders has an office in Groningen, but when he is in Amsterdam, he holds his meetings at the Ace & Tate office. “He had a meeting with Lex about something else, and that's how we met.” The two quickly realized they shared a passion for optics, as well as customer service and hospitality. “It's not just about selling glasses, it's about the entire experience and making sure someone feels heard by us.” Besides that, the two simply had a good rapport, so in the following months, their conversations evolved into discussions about the leadership transition within Ace & Tate.

Van de Vliet has a diverse resume. He started in the hospitality industry, had his own digital strategy company, and then landed in the optical world. He worked for several years at GrandVision, the parent company of Pearle and GrandOptical, among others. So, he's not a stranger to the optical industry. From his position at GrandVision, he had long admired Ace & Tate. “There were plenty of things we saw at Ace & Tate that we also wanted to do.” Some time after the acquisition of GrandVision by EssilorLuxottica, Van de Vliet left the optical group and stepped away from the industry for a while. However, the conversation with De Lange rekindled his passion for the sector.

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New Ace & Tate CEO Lex van de Vliet Credits: Ace & Tate

The arrival of Van de Vliet does not mean the departure of De Lange. “It's a somewhat atypical situation where the founder remains with the company.” The founder will become Chief Brand Officer and will continue to advise the new CEO. “Precisely in this situation, a personal connection is important. Although we will sometimes clash, we find common ground in the solution.” For De Lange, his new position means he will remain closely involved in developing the collection, how it is presented, and how the brand identity is expressed.

Strategic Shift at Ace & Tate: Mark de Lange Hands Over CEO Role

The founder is clear: The next chapter for Ace & Tate required a new CEO. That chapter focuses not only on the further rollout of the concept but also on the evolving needs of the Ace & Tate customer. This largely revolves around eye care. “When the brand was founded, many of our customers were around thirty. Now, eleven years later, they are around forty, and in the optical world, that is seen as the age when people start thinking about progressive lenses,” explains De Lange. The world has also changed in the sense that, partly due to the pandemic, people are looking at screens more than ever, but are also more focused than ever on their own (eye) health.

“Providing care, the human aspect – immersing yourself in someone and understanding their needs regarding a vision solution and responding to that – that won't change quickly within the optical world,” says Van de Vliet. “However, innovations are coming at us quickly that will further enhance care.” Ace & Tate started as an online-first company, which has led to a highly integrated enterprise, both online and offline. “You can buy glasses in England, but if something is wrong, you can just walk into a store in the Netherlands. It makes no difference. We want to give people the opportunity to have more control over their own eye care.”

The vision for Ace & Tate's future? “Our customers already leave the store with a smile. However, we want to further enhance that customer journey and make it even more consistent. Our goal is to offer a more complete vision solution and build long-term relationships with our customers.” De Lange adds: “Fundamentally, nothing has changed at Ace & Tate. Exciting things are coming, and we are evolving. We have a very happy team here, and you should definitely keep an eye on us.”

Ace & Tate Store. Credits: Ace & Tate