Sole Technology, manufacturer of Etnies, Emerica, Altamont and ThirtyTwo, promoted Diem Culley as its new COO. In her role as COO, Diem will be responsible for the overall operations of the company reporting directly to the owner and Chief Executive Officer, Pierre-Andre Senizergues.
As the first-ever female to hold the COO position at Sole Technology, Diem has risen through the ranks in her six-year history with the company. Entering Sole Technology in 2007 as the Vice President of Apparel, Diem took a predominately footwear-focused company to new levels by increasing their apparel program to 25% of the business. A few years later, as the company looked to increase their manufacturing and supply chain efficiency, Diem was appointed as Vice President of Merchandising for Footwear and Apparel to lead the charge and soon after was promoted to General Manager for the US market where she has achieved positive outcomes. Her focus has been on building strong teams and empowering them to deliver solid speed-to-market strategies and sell through with successful initiatives such as the etnies Marana and the Emerica G6, not to mention the accomplishments of 32 and Altamonts rapid growth in apparel.
I am extremely excited about naming Diem as our new COO and watching her growth within the Sole Technology family, says Pierre-Andre Senizergues. She is a great leader who shares our mission to inspire and empower youth, a core belief that has driven our success for 27 years. I am confident that she will lead our team through staying true to our values as we daily strive to deliver a meaningful product experience for the action sport industry and youth culture-compelled by authenticity, commitment and passion. Rock on, Diem!
With over two decades in the footwear and apparel industry, Diem started her career as a buyer for the Hechts division of the May company Department stores. After five years, she was recruited to Pacific Sunwear, her first introduction to the action sports world, where she started as the mens tops buyer and eventually moved to buying for all mens categories. She shifted from the retail side of the business by joining La Jolla Group, where she deepened her professional experience in merchandising, manufacturing, development and design. Her career portfolio made for a strong transition to Sole Technology and her internal success has ultimately propelled her to this new role as COO.
When I first joined Sole Technology I was inspired by the authenticity that was represented through the companys creative spirit, says Diem Culley. The same rings true today, a passion for well-designed product-its what drives the company. Theres no other place I would rather be than leading a team of exceptional professionals as we develop and execute innovative ideas together.
