Friends in the footwear industry turned out on Wednesday night to celebrate one of the legends of the business, Carol Baiocchi.
For the event, held at the Wolverine World Wide showroom by the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, the industry gathered to celebrate the longtime retail executive’s retirement and unveil a new scholarship in her name.
Baiocchi’s nearly 40-year career in footwear has included key positions at Macy’s and most recently Kohl’s. She has served for 14 years on the Two Ten board and also is a founder and chair of the hugely popular Women in Footwear Industry (WIFI) initiative. The new Carol Baiocchi Scholarship for Women will support continuing education and professional development for women in footwear.
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“I’ve known you a long time, and I’ve known you from the business perspective of a buy-sell relationship,” said Diane Sullivan, Two Ten board chair and president, chairman and CEO of Caleres Inc. “And then through WIFI we got to know each other on a different kind of level, as two people and as human beings. It really was my luck to be with you on that journey for WIFI.”
On hand at the event were Steve Madden, Sam and Libby Edelman and Kenneth Cole. Greg Tunney of RG Berry, Joe Ouaknine of Titan Industries, Susan Itzkowitz of Marc Fisher Footwear and Anna Bakst of Michael Kors also attended.
“One thread of Carol’s time at Two Ten is that she has touched me and the organization we her love of the industry and her desire to make this more than just about the business,” said Two Ten president Neal Newman.
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