The Athlete’s Foot Elevates Matt Lafone to Global CEO

Lafone, who antecedently served arsenic president and wide manager of the Americas, joined TAF successful 2021, and has driven affirmative results during his tenure, including a 45 percent summation successful determination revenue—contributing $272.1 cardinal to the 2024 wide performance.

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Prior to joining TAF, Lafone was COO for Payless ShoeSource wherever helium oversaw design, development, proviso chain, selling and franchising for its 750 planetary stores. Lafone besides held the relation of VP of sportstyle astatine Puma wherever helium was liable for driving wholesale gross starring sales, planning, selling and merchandising strategies.

Lafone said successful a connection connected Tuesday, that arsenic helium steps into the planetary CEO role, his imaginativeness is to “drive innovation, fortify collaboration, and elevate the brand’s interaction worldwide.”

“It’s a existent privilege to instrumentality connected this relation and proceed the travel with The Athlete’s Foot,” Lafone said. “I’m inspired each time by the passionateness of our teams, the spot of our brand, and the spot of our partners astir the world. As we look ahead, my absorption is connected deepening our connections, pushing innovation, and bringing greater alignment to however we amusement up crossed markets. Together, we person an unthinkable accidental to signifier what’s adjacent for TAF—and I’m acceptable to get to work.”

Param Singh, proprietor and president of Arklyz Group—the genitor institution of The Athlete’s Foot—also shared his enthusiasm for Lafone’s caller role, emphasizing the value of the enactment transition.

“We are incredibly excited to person Matt astatine the helm of TAF’s planetary operations,” Singh added. “His heavy knowing of the business, combined with his strategical vision, volition beryllium instrumental successful driving TAF’s continued maturation and success. As we enactment to further solidify TAF’s presumption arsenic a person successful the industry, Matt’s enactment volition beryllium cardinal successful guiding the concern done the evolving planetary market.”

This quality comes aft TAF opened a caller firm headquarters, flagship determination and assemblage halfway successful Atlanta, Ga. successful September. “This determination is the archetypal of its benignant connected Atlanta’s iconic Beltline and volition service arsenic a taste hub for assemblage engagement and deeper connectivity,” Lafone said astatine the time.

Further plans to grow operations successful Atlanta were besides announced connected Tuesday. The institution said it volition constitution of the TAF Global Center of Excellence to enactment some direct-to-consumer channels and franchise partners globally, driving innovation and optimizing operational efficiencies crossed TAF’s planetary network.