Della Valle

Diego Della Valle was an entrepreneur. He is the founder of Tod’s Spa, an Italian company of shoes, bags, and clothing that, through its brands Tod’s and Hogan, has reached first place in the industry. Its origin is in a small factory established in 1940 by Dorino Della Valle, in Sant’Elpidio a Mare, a small village in the Marche. The entire family worked there, and Diego, the son who multiplied its fortunes in the early 1980s by inventing the loafers with small raised rubber spheres on the soles, still smells the leather and skins of his childhood. He has been at the summit of Banca Commerciale Italiana. Since June 2003, with 4.6% of the shares, Della Valle has been on the board of directors of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, on the unanimous vote of its members, taking the seat of Davide Croff on the day of Mario Girotti’s appointment as general director. He was the savior of Florence’s soccer team, Fiorentina, which, after its financial collapse, almost disappeared. In August 2002, the entrepreneur became the majority shareholder. The shares were acquired for about €7.5 million.