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Linford leaves HI-TEC for MD role with Van Dal
Tony Linford, global product and marketing director for Hi-Tec Sports has announced his decision to leave the company to take up the role of managing director with women's fashion footwear brand Van Dal. One of his early priorities will be to assess the positioning of the Van Dal brand in a challenging UK retail market and how to build on the heritage of shoe making in Norwich which stretches back to 1936.
Over the past four years Linford has been credited with leading a significant turnaround and repositioning of the Hi-Tec brand, which is sold in over 100 countries. Together with Live & Breathe he developed campaigns to highlight the company's V-Lite technology and the sports performance 4:SYS technology both of which led to a significantly improved company performance in 2007.
Over and above that Linford has pioneered the revolutionary Ion Mask technology which will be launched during the second half of 2008 and which according to industry insiders will radically change the footwear and apparel industries. Forward bookings of the launch products featuring Ion Mask have exceeded even the highest forecasts and will now be accompanied by a global TV, print and outdoor campaign developed by Live & Breathe.
Linford has spent most of his career in the sports and footwear industries notably launching the CICA brand for Clarks, heading up the Global Running and Olympic Sports Business Unit for adidas and leading the global marketing for Danish brand ECCO.
Nick Gray, managing director at Hi-Tec Sports' marketing agency, Live & Breathe, who has worked closely with Linford during his tenure at Hi-Tec comments: "Tony is a visionary marketer yet also one of the most pragmatic operators I have come across. He has an ability to spot potential opportunities and to take them to market, in some cases, well ahead of much larger competitors in the sector. I wish him all the best in his new role."
