Former Long Islander Jim McGrann to head Marchon parent VSP Global

A former Lake Ronkonkoma resident and Sachem High School graduate has been named the incoming chief executive of VSP Global, an international vision insurance carrier with projected 2015 revenue of $5 billion and parent of Melville-based Marchon Eyewear Inc.

Jim McGrann, 53, currently president of the VSP Vision Care unit, will take the reins of the parent organization effective Oct. 1, succeeding Rob Lynch, who has served as chief executive for a decade.

McGrann, who studied engineering at Columbia University, said that he plans to create a "unified strategy" for the five business units of VSP, which is organized as a nonprofit although it owns Marchon, a for-profit company with annual revenue of about $700 million.

"For Marchon, the focus will be in growth within our channels," he said of an effort to promote VSP's own house brands to clients of its other services. "We're going to continue to grow that business and expand our presence on Long Island."

Marchon, with 600 employees on Long Island and 1,700 globally, was purchased by VSP, based in Rancho Cordova, California, in 2008. Last year Marchon's Diane von Furstenberg eyewear line launched a collection of designer frames for Google Glass, the wearable technology. Google suspended sales of Glass on Jan. 19.

McGrann was a Marchon executive on Long Island when the company was acquired, and he moved to VSP Global's home base in California in December 2008.

Still, McGrann said he returns to Long Island frequently and retains ties to the region.

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He said he was the backup quarterback for Sachem in 1978 when the team won the Long Island championship, beating an East Islip squad led by future NFL star Boomer Esiason. McGrann said his athletic career peaked in the week's practice leading up to the title game when he was called on to portray Esiason.

By Ken Schachter

kenneth.schachter@newsday.comkschach

Ken Schachter covers corporate news, including technology and aerospace, and other business topics for Newsday. He has also worked at The Miami Herald and The Jerusalem Post.