The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) has named Matt Lafone its new president and general manager of Americas. The veteran retail executive will manage operations in North, South and Central America, and will report directly to the company’s owner and global executive chairman, Param Singh.
Lafone will be responsible for providing leadership, strategic and operational guidance to the Americas team to drive profitable growth, build brand equity and enhance customer satisfaction. This in support of the company’s strategic vision set by Singh that builds on the success the brand has experienced in recent years.
Globally, TAF retail sales are on target to hit $500 million in 2021 and have seen robust growth above 40 percent in the first six months of 2021 vs 2020 and 14 percent above sales in 2019.
Lafone comes to The Athlete’s Foot with strong experience across branding, retail, merchandising, marketing and franchising. Prior to The Athlete’s Foot, he was COO for Payless ShoeSource, where he oversaw design, development, supply chain, marketing and franchising for its 750 international stores.
Prior to Payless, Lafone held the role of Vice President of Sport Style with Puma, where he was responsible for driving wholesale revenue leading sales, planning, marketing and merchandising strategies.
Lafone joins The Athlete’s Foot as it marks its 50th anniversary, which will be celebrated this month globally, highlighted by commemorative product launches, events and a 50th anniversary documentary.
TAF USA, now known as TAF Americas, also recently launched the StAART program, which stands for the Strategic African American Retail Track, an initiative aimed to grow diversity and representation in the sneaker industry through franchising.
To learn more about The Athlete’s Foot, visit http://www.theathletesfoot.com.
