Joe Salzano
Former Industry Positions:
Adviser, Easy Spirit
Senior Adviser, North American Sales, Drydock Footwear Group
Vice President of Sales, The Clarks Companies, N.A.
Director of Retail and Training Operations, The Rockport Company
Vice President of Store Operations, Altier Shoes

Salzano, a fixture in the shoe industry for nearly 60 years, became known first as a retailer and later as a vendor with prodigious teaching skills. He spent 30 years at Altier Shoes, a 25-store chain in Rochester, NY, where Salzano began as a salesman, was promoted first to store manager, then to sales manager and then to vice president of store operations. He took a brief break from Altier to teach at a business school, where he began honing his teaching and mentoring abilities. Eventually, he moved into sales training and wholesale sales management positions as Rockport's director of retail and training, and vice president of sales at Clarks; for both companies, he traveled extensively and gave seminars to selling staffs in numerous independently-owned stores. He became a popular speaker at industry events, including shoe shows and NSRA educational programs. In addition, Salzano has been an adviser to Easy Spirit and senior adviser to the Drydock Footwear Group, North American Sales.

In serving the shoe community, Salzano became widely known for messages that speak to the hearts of his audiences. He understands the many facets of managing sales people, as well as understanding that both “born” sales associates and their managers must learn what to say, what not to say, how to motivate and how to discipline. One of Salzano's gifts is an ability to teach with humor, making presentations seem less like lectures and more like conversations that draw on similar memories and experiences to produce concrete guidelines for success.

(L-R: Jim Sajdak, Joe Salzano)