Diego DELLA VALLE
Chairman and Ceo, Tod's
Architect of the most important case history of Italian production, Diego Della Valle has succeeded in making one of the many small manufacturers and shoemaking workshops along the Adriatic coast into a luxury brand that is all his own, Tod's. The Tod's moccasin quickly became a cult object at the international level and worn by the likes of Juan Carlos of Spain, Giovanni Agnelli, Julia Roberts, Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas. The company's products, which have been joined by the Hogan brand of casual footwear and Fay clothing, were soon admitted to the ranks of global luxury brands as the result of an aggressive retail policy at the world level. Today, Tod's show windows are to be found in all the major capitals in company with such brands as Vuitton, Gucci and Hermès. In November 2000, Tod's was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. Della Valle joined the boards of directors of LVMH last March and Ferrari in July. From rubber-soles to cleats: Della Valle's most recent coup was the purchase of a majority interest in Fiorentina, the Florence soccer team, for 7.5 million euros.