Beloved Footwear Executive Sonny Shar Dies at 86

Sonny Shar, the beloved footwear executive known for his sharp business acumen, genuine kindness and quick wit, died on March 21. He was 86.

Shar led British footwear giant Pentland Group Plc’s U.S. operations for 20 years and helped the firm gain a strong foothold in the American market.

But the quintessential family man certainly wasn’t a typical shoe dog. In 2014, when Shar was inducted into FN’s Hall of Fame, he said he could never have predicted his career path. “My wife and I have lived the American dream,” Shar said, “and the journey has certainly been a good one.”

As a young man, Shar worked as a motor mechanic in his family’s Ford franchise in Windhoek, Namibia. He became a chartered accountant and made the leap into commercial banking.

Prompted, in part, by South Africa’s apartheid policies, Shar emigrated to the U.S. in 1974 and settled on Long Island, working for an Israeli bank out of New York. Eventually, he formed his own export-import finance company before joining a Dutch company to consult on international trade for small businesses.

Accolades for his early work came when he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the White House Conference on Small Business. Then, in 1989, he headed across the pond to meet the head of Pentland Group, Stephen Rubin, and was hired as a senior executive in charge of domestic operations for the London-based powerhouse.

Five short years later, he was named president of Pentland USA and was a guiding force at the company until his retirement in 2014.

“I am certainly very grateful to Stephen Rubin for affording me the opportunity,” Shar said at the time. “Without it, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today. I have tremendous respect for him and his family, and I owe a lot to them for placing their trust in me.”

For the last decade, Shar has been a go-to adviser, both formally and informally, for many people and companies across the footwear industry and in his community — cementing his role as a trusted elder statesman.

“My mom and dad set a really good example for me growing up. They taught me to have respect for people and the value of giving to charity, not just in terms of money but also in being generous with my time. It’s important to recognize the needs of others,” he said in 2013.

Shar forged one of his most meaningful relationships with the late Bob Campbell, chairman and founder of BBC International. Campbell told FN in 2014 that Shar was always there for him, no matter what. “He is a man of stature who has been very generous with his time and talents,” Campbell said at the time.

That same year, Diane Sullivan, then Caleres CEO, talked about Shar’s unique ability to cultivate strong partnerships, no matter who was involved. “There’s a level of honesty, trust and respect that I have for Sonny because he always tries to find a way so everybody he’s working with wins in any situation.

While he was a central character in the industry story for decades, his proudest roles were that of husband, father and grandfather.

“You were the best Oupa I could have ever asked for. You were so kind, caring, thoughtful, silly and just so much more,” wrote granddaughter Alexis Lamanna in a Facebook post on Friday evening.

Shar is survived by his wife; three children; and two grandchildren.