Diego Della Valle(III)

He grew up in a sheltered environment and attended school, after which he studied law. In 1975, Diego Della Valle joined his father's shoe making business, which had 15 employees. He was inspired by the American "driving shoes" of the 1940s and in 1978 created the shoe manufacturer's trademark and a classic that would last for decades: the famous studded shoe. Della Valle named the company after the name Tod''s he found in the phone book and invented the initials J.P. in addition. J.P. In the following years, Tod''s became one of the most successful leather goods manufacturers in Italy. Both the shoes and the handbags were of the highest quality and within a few years became sought-after luxury goods worldwide.

In 2000, the Tod''s Group went public (the initials J.P. were dropped again), which now combines the brands Tod''s, Hogan, Fay and the Tod''s clothing line. The Hogan label, which also produces luxury shoes and handbags, was founded by Della Valle's eldest son Emanuele. The Tod''s Group employs around 2,200 people. Later, the traditional French company "Roger Vivier" was bought and has since been brought back to life. Diego Della Valle also holds a 5% stake in the Italian daily newspaper "Corriere della Sera" and is a member of the supervisory board of Ferrari and the luxury group LVMH. He is also the owner and honorary president of the Italian football club ACF Fiorentina.

Diego Della Valle is married to the architect Barbara Pistelli for the third time and is the father of two sons.