sneaker-culture
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Dimitrios Lessen
Dimitrios "Jimmy" Lessen is the Chief Merchandising Officer of SNIPES USA, appointed in February 2024. A 30-year veteran of the sneaker business, he built his career at Foot Locker in Europe and North America, running product strategy, buying, assortment planning and e-commerce before joining the German-founded, community-first streetwear retailer to lead its merchandising in the United States.
Rodney Rambo
Rodney Rambo is the Chief Marketing Officer of Converse Global, where he steers worldwide marketing for one of the most recognizable footwear brands on the planet. A graduate of Northern Arizona University with a background in speech communication, he built his career across action-sports and lifestyle labels including Volcom and Vans before joining Converse in 2012. Over more than a decade at Converse he has moved from Global Marketing Director to VP of North America Brand Marketing to CMO, championing a marketing philosophy built on listening to fans and treating consumers as co-creators. His teams have kept the century-old Chuck Taylor relevant to new generations, most visibly by reviving the knee-high XXHi sneaker in 2024 after tracking years of fan demand on social media.
Patricia Pino
Patricia Pino is a long-tenured brand marketing leader at Converse, the Nike-owned footwear icon behind the Chuck Taylor All Star. Based in Boston, she has spent more than 15 years inside the brand, rising through roles in brand planning, operations, and global brand marketing to become Head of Brand Planning, Global and Chief of Staff to the CMO. A University of New Hampshire marketing graduate, she is known as a consumer-led, process-driven strategist who connects the culture of sneakers with the discipline of running a global brand.