Franco Fogliato Named a Worldwide Who's Who Executive of the Year for Excellence in the Retail Sporting Goods Industry

    CAPBRETON, FRANCE, April 24, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Franco Fogliato, Chief Executive Officer for GSM Europe, has been named a Worldwide Who's Who Executive of the Year in the Retail Sporting Goods industry. While inclusion in Worldwide Who's Who is an honor, only a small selection of members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, years of service, and the credentials they have provided in association with their Worldwide Who's Who membership.

With an interest in sport brands and a passion for retail management, Mr. Fogliato assumed the position of chief executive officer for the European division of Billabong Group (GSM), a global wholesale and retail action sports company operating in more than 100 countries world wide. His latest role augments his years of experience in general management of a sporting goods company particularly with VF Corp and The North Face. Mr. Fogliato is responsible of the overall leadership, management and performance of the Group across the European Region. This includes working with the Board of Directors setting business direction and growth strategies and managing these to increase shareholders value. This includes profit and loss and balance sheet management. Striving to exceed the company's mission of being the leading board-sports company in the planet, he leads a multinational team across several countries. Drawing on his educational background, which includes an MBA in general management from the Open University Business School, executive education at the INSEAD business school and a degree in Business Administration at the University of Venice (Italy) Mr. Fogliato has become an expert in brand management, forecasting, sales, and marketing.

Recognized for 16 years of invaluable contributions to the retail sporting goods industry, Mr. Fogliato has garnered several awards. In 2011, he was inducted into Worldwide Who's Who as a lifetime member. In 2012, based on outstanding achievement and longevity in his field, he was selected as a VIP member. He will also be honored for professional achievement with a feature in Pro-Files Magazine. Mr. Fogliato attributes his success to passion for his work and a talent for brand management. In the coming years, he aspires to develop additional business plans and build new business adventures and lead great multicultural teams across the planet in the sporting retail sector.

Mr. Fogliato is charitably involved with Children Adoption. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor lifestyle and professional sports, travelling across the planet and spending time with his family.

About Worldwide Who's Who
With over 500,000 members representing every major industry, Worldwide Who's Who is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. Worldwide Who's Who employs similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies, making them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services.

Worldwide Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third-party endorsement of their accomplishments, and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.

For more information, please visit http://www.worldwidewhoswho.com.

Contact:
Ellen Campbell
Director, Media Relations
[email protected]

# # #