Scene & Heard

Two Ten Bets Big on Gala New President Joins Ecco USA

THE PANDEMIC IS far from over, and Two Ten Footwear Foundation’s focus remains on the unprecedented level of requests for assistance that have poured in since March 2020. At the same time, life goes on and the charitable organization is ramping up several programs and events that have been on the back burner amid the crisis.

First up: Planning is in full swing for the 81st annual Two Ten Gala this June (date TBD) on Pier Sixty in New York. The event was postponed from its usual December timing due to the pandemic. Chaired by Skechers, this year’s Gala will feature a reimagined casino-theme—replete with Vegasstyle décor, cocktail lounges and gaming tables—and drinks and hors d’oeuvres for 700 guests. “This will allow for a more engaging, interactive and social event than past years’ two-event format of a seated dinner plus industry-wide party,” says Shawn Osborne, president of Two Ten.

The Gala will see the presentation of the T. Kenyon Holly Memorial Award to Shoe Carnival Vice Chairman Cliff Sifford, while Glenn Barrett, CEO of OrthoLite, will receive the A.A. Bloom Memorial Award. Osborne notes that this year’s Gala features a new sponsorship model, offering industry service and logistics providers the opportunity to sponsor the event to deepen their footwear ties while supporting Two Ten.

Next up: The virtual (to start) reboot of WIFI (Women in the Footwear Industry) . Osborne says the need to get WIFI members meeting again is crucial. “Seventy percent of industry employees that Two Ten provides relief and counseling services to are women,” he says. “During the Covid crisis, women experienced unprecedented health, economic and caregiving challenges—underscoring the reality that a major crisis amplifies gender inequality. The Two Ten WIFI community is more important than ever for women to connect, support each other and share information.” Lastly, seeking donations to the Two Ten Scholarship Fund. On that note, Osborne is pleased to report that Two Ten will offer scholarships to 150 students, worth a total of $614,000, for the 2021-22 school year. “Our Shawn Osborne, president, Two Ten scholars are so appreciative, and in most cases wouldn’t be able to attend college without Two Ten’s support,” he says, noting its website now has a yearbook link featuring recipients. “Students can share information about the scholarships they received, the schools they’re attending and their inspirations and aspirations.” In addition to college scholarships, Two Ten offers Professional Development scholarships for industry employees to improve skills and advance their careers, and the Footwear Warriors Higher Education scholarships for military veterans currently employed, or returning to work in the footwear industry after their service.

Above all, Osborne applauds industry members who have continued donating to Two Ten amid such difficult times. “Our donors understand the importance of having a financial safety net for our industry,” he says. “Corporate and individual donors are stepping up, and many are finding new ways to give.” Examples include holding sample sales and donating the proceeds to Two Ten; launching employee giving programs in their companies; increasing product donations to the Share Your Shoes program; and even donating shares of company stock. ECCO HAS FOUND its man. The search to replace Dave Quell, the longtime head of Ecco USA who retired last summer, has been finalized with the naming of Tom Berry as president and CEO of the division. Berry, a footwear industry veteran, most recently served as Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at Levi Strauss & Co, where he was a key member of the team that turned around the iconic brand.

Berry, for one, can’t wait to dig into a brand with such a rich history of shoemaking innovation and style. “Ecco is the brand that everybody else wants to be—sustainability, responsibility, craftsmanship and, most importantly, authenticity,” he says. “Ecco is unique as it owns and operates its tanneries and factories, guaranteeing that its values are not consumer claims but are consumer promises.” Berry’s long history in consumer goods and footwear should serve him well. In addition to serving as Tom Berry, CEO, Managing Director for several of Ecco USA Levi’s subsidiaries and leading its global licensed business, prior to Levi’s Berry held executive and general management positions with global leaders like Tecnica Group, Adidas-Salomon and VF Corporation and its The North Face subsidiary.

“Tom is a global strategic leader with a proven track record of brand building and business transformation,” states Panos Mytaros, CEO of Ecco. “I look forward to partnering with him to introduce our brand to a new generation of consumers and to take Ecco to new heights in the critical and leading US market.”

Berry’s initial focus is to build on the strong foundation that the team has already created and to write the next chapter in the Ecco story. “Ecco is a brand and a business that is in great shape despite the obvious challenges of the pandemic,” he says. “Our goal is to build on that and, in order to do so, we’re making sure that we place the consumer at the center of all of our decision making and that we look at the business through this consumer-centric prism. Our Ecco holy trinity is: Brand, Product, Consumer Experience.”

Berry expects to tap into Levi’s playbook for some of Ecco’s consumer-centric transformation, as there are similar brand and product qualities. “The secret to success at Levi’s was ‘must have’ product combined with a ‘must have’ brand,” Berry offers. “A decade ago, you could win by being excellent at product or brand; but today’s consumer demands excellence in both.” In that regard, the exec says Ecco has always made “amazing product,” so the challenge is to clarify the brand-value proposition, to invest more into marketing and to drive demand so that ultimately more consumers can be introduced to Ecco. “Levi’s successful transformation was the result of a team effort across all functions and regions working together as a single global brand and business,” Berry says. “Play as a team—win as a team!”

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