Diego Della Valle is chairman and chief executive officer of Tod’s SpA, the luxury leather goods house that burst onto the scene with its casual, chic driving shoe.

The Italian entrepreneur attended law school at the University of Bologna before joining the shoe-making business that was started by his cobbler grandfather and nurtured by his father. In 1978, Della Valle named the company J.P. Tod’s (later dropping the initials) and unveiled the distinctive pebble-soled luxury loafer that became a hit among the well-heeled.

Resisting the merger and acquisitions rush of the Nineties, he and younger brother Andrea took the company public in 2000. They built the Tod’s, Hogan and Fay brands at their chosen pace and later added Roger Vivier. In addition to footwear and handbags, offerings include hats, gloves, accessories and eyewear.

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When Tod’s was ready to venture into apparel in 2006, it named designer Derek Lam as creative director. Della Valle faced bad press that same year with a game-fixing scandal involving the professional soccer team he owns, Fiorentina.

Della Valle, christened “The Italian Ralph Lauren” by The New Yorker, sits on the boards of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Ferrari SpA and Marcolin.