Oofos President Steve Gallo Steps Down, Dave Mischler Promoted to Chief Operating Officer

Oofos president Steve Gallo has stepped down from his role.

The active recovery footwear brand announced today that Gallo, who has been with Oofos since 2018, has left the company.

“While we are very sorry to see Steve Gallo leave Oofos, we are extremely grateful for his contributions and the immense impact he has had in building this brand and company culture,” Lou Panaccione, co-founder and CEO of Oofos, said in a statement. “We have been fortunate to have Steve lead and inspire us through the past five years. He will always be a part of the Oofos family, as he has helped form who we are and has built a strong foundation for future success.”

In a statement, Oofos touted several of Gallo’s accomplishments while leading the brand, including building a strong U.S. retail distribution infrastructure, transforming its online direct-to-consumer business and building a strong base of U.S. wholesale retail partners. 

Also, Oofos announced it has promoted Dave Mischler to chief operating officer. In this role, the brand said Mischler will be responsible for leading the execution of its business plan, overseeing internal affairs and administrative functions and serving as a conduit for the leadership team. Also, Oofos said the product development, e-commerce, wholesale sales, sourcing and global logistics/operations teams will report to him.

Mischler has more than 35 years of industry experience, and has held leadership roles at Reebok and Adidas. Prior to joining Oofos in August 2022, Mischler most recently was the SVP and chief supply chain officer of uniform rental and supply company Unifirst.

Oofos also noted shared values with Mischler, which include his recent completion of the Pan Mass Challenge, a nearly 200-mile bike-a-thon through Massachusetts that spans two days and raises funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In a statement, Oofos confirmed Mischler raised more than $12,500 that will go directly to cancer research and patient care.

“We are excited to elevate Dave Mischler to the role of chief operating officer. In his short time at Oofos, he has made a significant impact on our business and our ability to drive future success,” Panaccione said in a statement. “We are confident Dave’s leadership and the incredible talent at Oofos will continue to accelerate the brand’s current momentum.”

The restructuring, Oofos stated, comes at a time of momentum for the brand, which includes 82 percent revenue growth last year. Also, the brand made note of its recent growth investment round of funding that was led by New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr, retired NFL quarterback Alex Smith and basketball icon Dawn Staley.