Italian-based premium sneaker brand Autry has appointed Danilo Piarulli, formerly at Golden Goose, as its new CEO.
Piarulli was at Golden Goose for 13 years, most recently serving as chief consumer officer and an executive member of its board of directors.
He began his career in finance at companies including PwC, before moving into the footwear space at Geox. In 2013, he joined Golden Goose, where his responsibilities expanded from his initial role as CFO to cover business development, brand strategy and international markets.
Autry was founded in Dallas, TX, in 1982 by Jim Autry, and became known in the 1980s as “the shoes with the American flag,” selling models for tennis, running, and basketball. After a lengthy downturn that began in the 1990s, Autry was relaunched in 2019 by a group of Italian businessmen based in Dolo, near Venice. In 2021, the brand was acquired by Made in Italy Fund, the private equity vehicle of Quadrivio & Pambianco.
In 2024, Style Capital, a Milan-based private equity fund specialized in the lifestyle segment, acquired a majority stake in the business and has since grown the brand rapidly, generating €150 million in revenue by adding wholesale accounts, developing e-commerce and opening stores.
The brand currently has 12 stores across Europe and Asia and plans to open five to eight new stores annually, focusing heavily on major U.S. cities like New York, Dallas, Miami, and Los Angeles. South Korea and Japan are also being prioritized for store openings.
“Danilo has already demonstrated his ability to contribute to the transformation of a sneaker brand into a global company. Having the right skills is one thing; having successfully navigated that complexity before is another,” said Roberta Benaglia, chairwoman of Autry and CEO of Style Capital, in a statement. “He combines strategic vision with a highly operational mindset and a strong focus on execution, from processes and people to control and disciplined growth. His deep understanding of the premium lifestyle fashion market and his experience across different stages of a company’s development make him the ideal leader for Autry as we continue to strengthen the organization, expand retail with discipline, preserve the selectivity of our distribution and further develop the brand internationally.”
Piarulli said: “The brand has exceptional fundamentals: a compelling product proposition positioned within a protected and attractive price segment, and significant potential to accelerate internationally. The opportunity now is to translate those strengths into an increasingly powerful brand universe and narrative, one that speaks directly and empathetically to consumers and builds genuine emotional connection around authentic values. As Autry evolves from a product-led success story into a truly global brand, the natural strategic response is clear: getting closer to the costumer through direct-to-consumer development.”
Images courtesy Autry
