Zamberlan, the third-generation handcrafted Italian bootmaker, hired footwear industry veteran Bill Johnson as North American sales manager. The addition of this role comes as the company continues to reorganize its operations, consolidating the Canadian subsidiary into the U.S. and launching Zamberlan North America.
Johnson spent the last 19 years as the outdoor footwear buyer for Zappos.com where he managed a portfolio of up to 50 brands, and multi millions in gross sales. Former Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh hired Johnson in 2004 to launch and build the brand’s outdoor business. Prior to Zappos, he worked in retail for Nordstrom and REI.
Residing in Las Vegas, Jonson will be responsible for all sales for North America for the Zamberlan brand.
“Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of collaborating with and cultivating partnerships with some of the industry’s leading brands, and I’m excited to bring new energy to Zamberlan North America,” said Johnson. “For nearly a century, the Zamberlan name has stood for exceptional quality in construction, comfort, fit and performance. I am honored to represent the Zamberlan family and to focus on driving sustainable growth and innovation in the North American market.”
Johnson joins the brand after an extensive search, amidst the company’s North American reorganization, which will see it service the North American territory with a single-point management team and warehouses in both the U.S. and Canada.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Bill into the Zamberlan family and trust that his leadership, professionalism and likability will help elevate the brand’s presence across the region through both reinvigorated specialty relationships and key account activation,” said Zamberlan North America GM, Philip Benson. “Besides being a great culture fit, Bill’s keen insight into the outdoor market and his deep product knowledge will be critical as we leverage our penchant for service and a talented management team in the territory.”
