Legero United has expanded its brand portfolio with the acquisition of German children’s footwear brand, VADO, and with this, the Founder of VADO, Hermann Meyer, has joined Legero’s Executive Board as Chief Product Officer.
Founded in 2008, VADO Footwear GmbH has established itself as an innovative brand for premium children’s shoes. And through this new business venture, Legero is adding a strong, dynamically growing brand to its existing portfolio in the children’s footwear sector.
Following the takeover, as Chief Product Officer, Mr Meyer will take over responsibility for product development across all the group’s brands – Legero, Superfit and Think! – from Stefan Stolitzka. He will also continue to oversee collection development for VADO.
Mr Meyer is known as an innovative entrepreneur in the European footwear market and has successfully built up VADO as an owner-managed family business.
“Since founding VADO, my aim has been to constantly rethink footwear and consistently tailor it to the needs of the wearers,” he said. “My driving force has been, and remains, the development of footwear tailored to specific target groups for people of all ages – always with a focus on individual added value.
“In Legero United, I have found a partner who shares the same values: a long-term outlook, high product quality and the courage to break new ground. The fact that I will be able to help shape the company’s future as part of the management team fills me with great joy and a sense of responsibility.”
Hermann Meyer (left) & Stefan Stolitzka (right)
Elsewhere, Stefan Stolitzka will become Chairman of the Board next year and Florian Fuchs will take over the role of CEO of Legero United from Mr Stolitzka in the coming year, as planned. Morten Bay Jensen will continue to serve on the Executive Board as COO.
Mr Stolitzka commented: “The aim is to make our brands a prominent part of the customer experience – both digitally and in the real world. And, going forward, to be active in those markets where the future is taking shape. We are very much looking forward to working together.
A particular focus of the collaboration is on using digital technologies to further develop product design. VADO is spearheading this innovation. The brand already utilises AI at key stages of the collection development process and is regarded as a pioneer in this field within the children’s footwear market. In the future, this expertise is set to be incorporated into other areas of Legero, providing further impetus for digitalisation, efficiency and customer focus.
VADO’s international growth is to be driven forward via Legero’s established sales platforms across Europe, and the aim of the merger is to strengthen the market position of all brands in the long term and to offer all partners even more attractive product ranges, more sought-after brands and additional growth opportunities.
