Fila North America president Jon Epstein dies

By

Robin Driver

Published
Feb 19, 2019

Jon Epstein, the president and chief global commercial officer of Fila North America died on Friday, near his home in St Louis, Missouri. He was 63.

 
According to a statement from the company, the executive’s passing comes a week after he underwent heart surgery.

Epstein first served as CEO and president of Fila from 1998 to 2003 before returning as president of the brand’s North American business in 2007 following the acquisition of the label by Fila Korea, its former Korean licensee.

Since his return to Fila, the executive has been credited with the company’s turnaround in North America through rebalancing its wholesale channels and securing partnerships with brands and retailers such as Fendi, Urban Outfitters and Barneys New York
 
“In Jon Epstein, Fila has lost a great friend, leader, and champion of the brand, not just in the U.S. but worldwide,” said Fila Chairman Gene Yoon in a release. “His entrepreneurial spirit was a perfect match for our vision of growth, and his passion for both our heritage of authenticity and our potential as a brand innovator drove Fila’s resurgence over the past decade.”
 
Prior to joining Fila, Epstein, a graduate of Boston University spent 21 years at Adidas America.

Fila announced that Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Estabrook will step in as acting president of Fila North America.