Scholl Shoes names Andrea Collesei CEO

Footwear brand Scholl Shoes has announced the appointment of Andrea Collesei to the role of chief executive officer, a position he will step into this week.

The move was announced in a statement to FashionUnited by Tobias Klaiber, who Collesei is to succeed and who will continue on as managing director at investment firm Aurelius Group, which acquired Scholl in 2014.

In the release, Klaiber said that Collesei’s appointment comes at a time when Scholl has experienced rapid expansion and is currently operating with a “strong partner and distribution network”.

He added: “We are building new markets such as Asia and the Middle East, expanding our management team and launching the spring/summer 2024 season fueled with new designs and technologies.”

Collesei joins the brand from the OTB Group, where he was most recently the general manager of Jil Sander, prior to which he served as CEO of Viktor & Rolf.

Speaking on his tasks for the new position at Scholl, Collesei told WWD that he is planning to continue building the distribution network for the brand, alongside the backing of marking activities designed to strengthen the brand positioning.

He continued: “I’ve always been working with brands that have a very strong heritage, and a very strong perspective on design — bringing them to the next level in terms of size, growth and also international development. There is a unique opportunity to develop this strong heritage brand in the fashion world.”