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ALUM Spotlight Chad Smoak '96

Public Relations major Chad Smoak has got the footwear market covered. From his current VP position at Foot Locker Inc., US, his resume has an amazing list of marketing positions with other footwear giants such as Payless ShoeSource, Converse and Just for Feet. Born in Charleston, SC and raised in Birmingham, AL, attending Auburn was an easy choice. "My sister cheered at Auburn during the Bo Jackson/Charles Barkley years and I was hooked. My brother went there soon after for a couple of years and then I followed suit."

Q. What did you enjoy most about your Auburn experience?

A. The response that comes easiest to anyone who went to Auburn is “the people.”  Auburn people make the Auburn experience so special.  Even those who didn’t go to school there seem to gravitate toward the Auburn Spirit. I asked one of my closest friends, who graduated from that other school in the state, what he thought was Auburn’s greatest asset and he answered without hesitation, “the people.” He also said something interesting, “Alabama has football. Take that away and what does Alabama have?”  I guess that is what makes Auburn… well, Auburn; it is why Auburn folks shout “War Eagle” to each other in passing.  I also think there is something special about it being a “college town” versus a city setting.  I always feel at home when I come back to the Loveliest Village on the Plains.


Q. How did Auburn prepare you for your current position?

A. Beyond the obvious academic preparation I needed, I learned an important lesson while in the Public Relations department at Auburn. I learned how to relate to a diverse group of people when trying to achieve a common goal. During my last two years, we were often teamed up with random students for a project, or even the entire quarter.  Looking back on that experience, I can see the similarities in the challenges I had back then to the same challenges I deal with in today’s business environment. In these groups there were those who were more organized than others, smarter, more ambitious and some were just not dependable. At the time, I remember being frustrated because I wanted to pick my own team. I was exposed early on at Auburn on how to capitalize on people’s strengths in order to reach the goal.

I can also attribute some of my success to the leadership roles I held on campus and in the fraternity. College is the first time you are really on your own, so having some responsibility and accountability in that kind of environment will help keep you grounded.


Q. What was your career path after graduating from Auburn?

A. My career path since Auburn has been filled with hard work, fortunate opportunities and great stories. I have also been fortunate to meet some Auburn greats along the way, like Takeo Spikes, Cadillac Williams, and the great Charles Barkley. It all started with an internship with the 1996 Birmingham Soccer Olympic Committee.  I entered the footwear world for the first time at Birmingham-based Just For Feet. And while Just For Feet saw some dark days in its later years, I still feel proud when someone recognizes the hard work we did back then, and I owe the strength of my work ethic to those years in the trenches.

My next move was to Topeka-based Payless ShoeSource as their Brand Manager for the Kids business.  After a couple of years there, I caught wind of a unique opportunity with Converse up in Boston.  It was there that I was given the reigns to build and lead a group of people for the first time.   My role was to develop a retail marketing group that was non-existent at the time. After more than two years of putting in 80-90 hours a week into this effort, we had established a full-functioning retail team and several accomplishments to hang our hats on.  Eventually, we were bought by Nike and I took the opportunity to take a break.

So, I packed up my things and moved to Orange Beach, AL and spent 9 months writing a screenplay about my experiences and enjoying the relaxing way of life on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. In order to keep my marketing skills in tact, I also consulted for a company in Mexico City, helping them build strategies to grow their market share. I thoroughly enjoyed working on an international business and learned a great deal in the process. 

And now I am back in the footwear world once again, this time on the retail side with Foot Locker, Inc. based in New York. I have moved from one extreme to the next, but I can’t think of anywhere else I’d want to be right now.


Q. What is your role at Foot Locker, Inc.?

A. I am the Vice President, Retail Brand Marketing for Foot Locker, Inc. US, which has athletic specialty stores all over the world: Europe, Canada, Australia, and of course, the United States. I specifically manage retail brand marketing within the United States, for more than 3,200 stores in five retail chains (brands): Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Footaction and Champs Sports.  Each of these chains has a brand marketing team and I oversee those.  My two big areas of responsibility fall into the visual merchandising and sports marketing side of the business. Branded window banners, sale signs, hang tags, and overall store layout are among the things included in the world of visual merchandising.  On the sports marketing side of the business, we develop, sponsor and/or manage all types of sporting events: from high school cross country championships to the New York City Marathon, from a 3 on 3 summer tournament to the Foot Locker 3-point Shootout during the NBA All-Star weekend.  We are a primary sponsor of the Arena Football League, and we are into our 3rd year with the Champs Sports Bowl down in Orlando where the ACC and the Big Ten will face off on Dec. 29 on ESPN… tune in!

Q. How do you like living in New York City?

A. Everyone should live in New York City at least once in their lifetime.  Within my 6-block walk to work every day, I hear at least three to four different languages being spoken by passing pedestrians. I interact with different cultures and people with various backgrounds. I am convinced that we would all get along better if we learned more about each other’s cultures and communities.  Plus, the city has everything you can possibly want, from all types of cuisines to choices of entertainment… heck, looking for a monkey that plays the Auburn fight song on a harmonica? There’s “a guy” in Lower East Side you should see.

Q. What is your advice to a graduating senior at Auburn?

A. Learn the Auburn Creed by George Petrie, especially the first two sentences.  Never underestimate hard work. Let’s face it, luck can play into one’s success as well (which I have had my fair share); however, you must be prepared when the opportunities come your way. I was fortunate enough to gain a hard work ethic during my first 5 years of my career, which has carried into these past 5 years. When it comes to building a strong team, I always invest in employees who have the desire to work harder and learn more over those employees who feel they are entitled to their success. 

Only concern yourself with things you can control. Don’t get all worked up over a decision that was made at the top level because you don’t understand it; there is always a rationale behind a decision.  The last bit of advice I would give would be to treat everyone with respect – from the CEO down to the janitor.  This might seem hard at times based on people’s attitudes and actions, but remember “what goes around comes around.”  If you have issues with those you come in contact with professionally, find a way to work it out or work through it but never sever the contact.  Remember that girl who used to be an intern three years ago that you treated poorly? Well, she’s your new boss now. Good luck.