People Footwear appointed Marty Meade as vice president of sales. Meade will be based in the Portland, OR office.

“We are thrilled to have Marty as part of the People Footwear family,” said Damian Van Zyll De Jong, CEO. “As our brand continues to grow and we continue on our mission to make forward thinking footwear, we see the need to build out our executive team with industry veterans. Marty has great vision and demonstrated leadership abilities, along with unique insight into how to grow our sales throughout different channels, and we know he will complement the ideals we have at People Footwear.”

Previous to joining People Footwear, Meade worked as a senior sales director for Dr. Martens AirWair LLC USA, where he was responsible for complete management for the performance channel. There he built and directed a team of territory sales reps, national account managers, and was credited with doubling business in a matter of five years. He worked directly with the UK-based global product team to deliver relevant product to the U.S. market and was able to achieve his growth strategies. Prior to Dr. Martens, he spent six years at Nike Inc., in both retail and the equipment division.

“I am extremely excited and looking forward to working with the team at People Footwear to build upon the successes already accomplished, and implant strategies to continue the explosive growth,” Meade said. “Having grown up in footwear, I have a passion for superior products and great brands. I see tremendous growth opportunity for People Footwear to make an impact in both the adult casual and children footwear market.”

Photo courtesy People Footwear