Q. Introduce yourself
I’m David Lockyer, the President and Chairman of Footwear Industry Trust.

Q. What is your connection/history with the footwear industry?
I spent my entire working career in the Footwear industry. I joined Clarks as a retail graduate trainee in 1968 after gaining a Bachelor’s degree in Economics followed by a Master’s degree in Business Management. My family had a long history of continuous working for Clarks with my Father, Mother and both Grandfathers receiving long service awards from the company and my Great Grandfather being one of the first factory employees when factory manufacturing started in Street in the 1850’s. My father had the rare achievement of being in the footwear Trade Union for 77 years joining when he started work at the age of 14 and then granted a free lifetime membership when he retired until he died at the age of 91.
As a graduate trainee I held roles in branch management, buying, merchandising, logistics and training before becoming an area manager responsible for 20 stores in North West England. This was a time of rapid expansion for the retail business in Clarks which grew from 50 to over 400 stores in 15 years both through acquisition of existing businesses and organic growth. I was appointed as the Chief Executive of one of the acquired companies, James Baker, in 1977 and grew the business from 12 to 70 stores in 5 years. I then moved to the same role in the largest chain in the company, Peter Lord, and became merchandise director when all the retail chains were brought together in the 1980’s. Then followed roles as manufacturing director responsible for 19 factories producing 270,000 pairs each week and resourcing director responsible for all the shoes coming into the business establishing buying offices in Brazil, Portugal, Taiwan, Hong Kong and India. I went back into retailing in 1989 and over the next 2 years converted over 300 stores to the Clarks shop format. When all the retail companies in the group, including K Shoes and Ravel, were brought together in 1991 I became Retail Director of C & C Clark International.
On leaving Clarks in 1996 I became the Managing Director of Stead & Simpson and during the next 10 years grew this business to over 450 stores acquiring Shoe Express, Peter Briggs, Famous Footwear and a number of independent retailers along the way.
Following the sale of the business I joined Barratts as a Non-Executive Director.
In addition, for 14 years from 2003 I acted as a volunteer adviser on Retailing and Finance to the British Heart Foundation at a time of rapid growth in their retail activities.

Q. Why did you get involved with FIT?
I got involved with FIT in the mid 2000’s with the aim of giving something back to an industry which had been my life for 40 years. I became Chair and President of the charity in 2013.  Interestingly my father had organised factory collections for the Footwear Benevolent Society, as FIT was then known, for many years during his employment with Clarks. During my time as a Trustee, we have paid more than 5,000 individual grants totalling in excess of £1.2 million to our beneficiaries. As you will have noted elsewhere on the website, we distribute all the money we raise to our beneficiaries so you know that anything you donate will go to someone who has worked in the footwear industry often for long periods of time who, unfortunately, has fallen on hard times and needs our help.

Q What aspects of FIT are you most proud of?
As one of the longest established Trade Charities I am proud that we continue the work started 188 years ago to help individuals who have often given a lifetime of service to our industry. The footwear industry has shaped my life and provided me with opportunities to develop, learn new skills and meet fellow sector specialists all over the world. Although fiercely competitive it is a friendly industry willing to help others when this help is needed. We need your help now to ensure we can continue the work started so many years ago. Some of our donors have been supporters of the charity for over 150 years with the descendants of the original patron, Earl Fitzwilliam, still making donations to this day. Please do what you can by making a direct donation, organising an event, persuading your colleagues to part with some money or anything else you can think of to ensure we can continue the assistance which is as much needed today as it was in 1836.