"Anu", the namesake of the Ahnu Footwear brand was initially researched and discovered by co-founder Jim Van Dine’s daughter, Ginny. Convincing the rest of the staff of the legitimacy of a family-inspired name was easy. The Ahnu team, after all, has already proven that the family formula works.
Van Dine and the Ahnu design and management team worked side by side at Keen Footwear, helping guide the brand from its very first steps to its remarkable three-year peak.
Open about their desire to replicate the same friendly, social, and successful environment, the Ahnu staff is going back to the source. Working out of the same Bay Area office space that inspired their previous successes, the Ahnu team shares the same view of the water, of the city and of the mountains.
They’ve got the same assorted guitars, the same photos of friends and family, and even the same deli charge account.“We want to do well, for sure. But what we really want to do is to work with each other, and to build the type of company that we can all be proud of,” said Van Dine.
Jim Van Dine (President/CEO and Founder) has a diverse background that includes executive positions at Reebok International, Deckers Outdoor, Vans, and The Zildjian Company. Van Dine was one of the key principals at Keen Footwear, where as President and General Manager he managed all aspects of the business from its very first steps to its remarkable three-year peak. Van Dine built an outstanding management team with Keen – and most joined him in the establishment of Van Dine & Partners, which led to the creation of Ahnu.
Jacqueline Lenox’ (VP of Product & Marketing, and Founder) background ranges from Birkenstock to Keen Footwear, with brand management experience in product and manufacturing as well as trade and consumer marketing plans. Jacqueline received a D&AD Award for her work with fuseproject® on the launch of a new collection from Birkenstock, also winning Business Week's 2004 IDEA Gold Award for Design. She is passionate about connecting to consumers through innovative design.
Jenny Fredericks (VP of Sales and Founder) was most recently the Director of Specialty Sales at Keen Footwear, LLC. Her 18-year tenure in the footwear Industry includes management roles at Reebok International and H.S. Trask. Jennydeveloped and successfully executed online “buy it now” strategies, and established a program that claimed the highest conversion rate in the footwear industry. Her strong track record designing innovative multilevel promotions have elevated brands, captured market share and driven business.
Ed Shollenberger, C.P.A., (Controller) started his career with Price Waterhouse Coopers as an Audit Senior and was promoted to a management role. Ed workedf at Teknion, Inc. as Controller before moving to California to become Controller of the Business Resource Group – an office furniture dealer with sales of more than $200M. Most recently, Ed was the initial Controller for Keen Footwear from 2003 through 2006.
Jake Brandman (Director of Operations and International Sales) has extensive sales management and operations background in the sporting goods and footwear industries. Jake was the Director of Sales at Vans and Director of Sales & Sales Operations at Keen Footwear. He also carries significant experience in rapid growth from his work with Pro-Tek, the leading manufacturer of protective gear for snowboard and skateboard enthusiasts. At Pro-Tek, Jake's responsibilities ranged from product management to Inventory control to sales management.
Scott McGuire (Outdoor Field Ambassador and Founder) spent the past 17 years in the outdoor and specialty sports industry with an increasing focus on product development and merchandising. Scott brings an in-depth understanding of product strategy, sales and marketing. An affinity for adventure has led him on trips to Africa, South and Central America, and helped Scott and his team garner a prestigious National Geographic Expedition Council grant to explore the Islands of Four Mountains in the Bering Sea. Most recently, Scott was on the team that developed Keen Footwear, where he headed up the Outdoor footwear marketing and development strategies.
LINK: Welcome
LINK: About the company
LINK: About the commitment
LINK: About QuiteLight™ Construction
LINK: Introducing the Tilden
