A thirty year retail and footwear industry veteran and successful entrepreneur, Matt first developed the Athlete's Foot franchise in New York City and Phoenix, and went on to build expansions with leased footwear departments in Bloomingdale's and Foley's Department Stores. In 1996 he changed the name of those 36 stores to U.S. Athletics, and developed a private label apparel and footwear brand under the same name. Matt sold the stores in 1991 and began marketing the U.S. Athletics brand of footwear to national and regional footwear and sporting goods chains. In 2000 Mercury International bought the brand and Matt served as President of its newly-formed division. In 2004 Matt once again tapped his entrepreneurial spirit and vision to create Fender Footwear, the worldwide exclusive footwear licensee for the Fender Musical Instruments Company.
After a career in retail, wholesale and direct to consumer businesses, Matt embarked on a career in executive search, specializing in senior level placements for retail, fashion and footwear companies. He began as Senior Director at Stephen Bradford Search in New York City, and has since co-founded, Matt Zale Associates - an executive search and consulting firm.
An avid sports fan and dedicated athlete, Matt also loves music, especially The Beatles. Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Lehigh University.
