Spanish footwear industry leader dies
15/10/2014
A lawyer by training, Rafael Calvo’s first contact with the footwear industry was in 1978 when FICE hired him as an advisor. He became the organisation’s executive secretary in 1984 before becoming its president in 1992. He ran the organisation for the next 20 years and contributed extensively to the development of the industry in his home country, in Europe and globally.
Mr Calvo retired at the end of 2012, saying that he had wanted to leave his post for some time but that, owing to the challenges in the Spanish economy, had not found the right time to walk away.
La Verdad, the main daily newspaper in Alicante, Spain’s largest footwear-producing province, said on announcing Mr Calvo’s death: “He was a tireless fighter for the Spanish footwear industry. He was decisive and had a powerful personality. He was a tough negotiator but was flexible too, capable of striking agreement in even the most difficult situations and he used this to achieve unity in the industry and to bring prestige and recognition to the Spanish shoe sector, raising it up to the highest level.”
Share this story:
