Execs From Crocs, Deckers, Golden Goose and More on Why Great Teams Matter More Than Ever

Saks' Tracy Margolies and Manolo Blahnik's Andrew Wright Discuss the Power of Partnership at FN Summit

The shoe industry’s top players came out in full force during the FN Summit on Tuesday in New York City.

The day-long summit, themed “The Hot List,” centered around several important topics: the hot markets that are driving the industry forward; the retail innovations that are fueling a brick-and-mortar comeback; the AI revolution; and the critical conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion. But across several conversations, brand leaders kept coming back to one major theme: the importance of their people.

“100 percent, what is keeping me up at night is people,” Golden Goose chief executive officer Silvio Campara said during the first session at the summit. “People, people people. And I think this is something that every brand should address in America.”

Campara discussed the importance of nurturing teams and including them in a company’s value system, which he said leads to stronger retention in important consumer facing role, like in stores.

“If you don’t have hard retention in your stores, how is it possible to offer a consistent experience for new customers?” Campara said.

Crocs’ newly minted brand president Anne Mehlman and former brand president Michelle Poole also discussed the important role that leaders play in the culture of an organization.

“The whole organization is watching the leadership team,” Poole said during a session, in which she emphasized the importance of having women in leadership roles. She added that Crocs’ progress in female leadership has had a positive impact on overall retention across the organization.

According to Mehlman, Poole was known to be a mentor for other women in the company during her time at Crocs, something Mehlman said has inspired other leaders who came after her.

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During a critical conversation about the road ahead for DEI, top execs from Puma and PVH sat down with André Pinard, director of culture at Exposure, and discussed how companies should engage their employees and increase diversity across the workforce. According to Michelle Marshall, head of diversity, equity and inclusion at Puma North America, it is important to constantly solicit feedback from the team.

“Ensure you’re always gauging employee sentiment. You may think you’re making great strides, but employees might have a different opinion about the environment,” Marshall said. And for the new class of employees coming in, “make sure you’re always using voice,” she added.

Even amid conversations about the artificial intelligence revolution, brand leaders were adamant about the need to preserve the human elements in brand creation.

“As a brand, your competitive advantage is your team,” said Hilos CEO and founder Elias Stahl. “It’s that human part within you that enables you to do something that AI can’t.”

According to Tracy Margolies, chief merchandising officer at Saks, winning in both good and bad times comes down to having a strong team. “To me, my team really creates the culture,” Margolies noted. “We are passionate about our business; we are passionate about our goals. So, for me, it’s about helping with strategy with my team. Working through that so that we can achieve those goals. Really letting the team get more involved with the product and letting them understand what opportunities there are, and then I’m there to support them.”

Finally, soon-to-be-retired CEO at Deckers Dave Powers offered valuable lessons on creating a positive culture for employees at Deckers, which owns the red-hot Hoka and Ugg brands, among several others. The exec stated he believes the culture at Deckers has been critical to its success.

“Everybody should feel welcomed, heard, seen, empowered and cared for,” Powers said. “It’s amazing to see employees react to that kind of environment and how they protect it once they have it. They truly come to work being themselves. You don’t have to change who you are when you walk through the door at work.”

He continued, “It empowers teamwork, collaboration, trust and when you’re truly your most relaxed and comfortable is when you truly do your best work.”

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