JAY PICCOLA
Chief Executive Officer
Jay Piccola is a legend in the Footwear Industry and the PAHI Balance Brand is honored to call him their CEO. As President and General Manager of PUMA North America, Piccola, was a strategic leader in growing revenue from $27M to $1B, overseeing the United States and Canada. Piccola transformed an untapped market into the largest revenue-driven region in the world by developing distribution models, launching successful product concepts and creating substantial joint venture structures.
Piccola is known for his ability to launch impactful campaigns such as the PUMA Golf category and Women’s athletics. His vast knowledge and experience as an executive in the footwear industry is unprecedented with executive / managerial stints with NIKE, Diadora America, Converse and Fruit of the Loom.
Piccola was a 3-time 1st team All-America performer for Roanoke College before becoming a NBA draft pick for the New Orleans Jazz. Piccola would later play for the ABA Virginia Squires prior to the start of his business career.
Shawn Powell
Senior Vice President and Co-Founder
As a Co-Founder of the PAHI Balance Brand, Powell is dedicated to the concept and development of better-balance footwear. Powell began his career as the Director of Fitness for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, where he instituted the first mandatory fitness program for law enforcement officers. From this nationally renowned program, Powell was hired by George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees to develop the first ever Major League Baseball Strength & Conditioning / Injury Rehabilitation Center.
As the Yankees Strength & Conditioning Coordinator, Powell was an integral part of three World Series championships - training several Hall of Fame players such as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Powell would eventually work for 30 years in professional sports.
Powell has consistently served his community with solutions for better health from both a physical and mental standpoint. The PAHI Balance Brand is another step forward for Powell, in helping those in need of better balance, so they may have a more fulfilling lifestyle and mindset.
AMIE HANSEN
Chief Marketing Officer
Amie Hansen brings 20+ years of brand, digital marketing and ecommerce expertise to the PAHI team. She has global leadership experience at iconic brands like Nike, Converse, and Crocs and a track record of delivering tranformational growth at DTC startups.
Most recently, Amie served as CEO of a direct-to-consumer jewelry startup, CMO of Mielle Organics (where she led the brand through its historic acquisition by P&G), and CMO of Nulo Pet Food. She cut her teeth in global merchandising, product management, and DTC strategy at Nike, Converse, and Crocs, giving her a unique blend of corporate expertise and startup agility.
In the last five years, Amie has focused on helping brands unlock their full digital potential through her own consulting practice. Her expertise spans ecommerce, retail media networks, organic social, influencer marketing, email/SMS campaigns, paid media, SEO, PR, and affiliate marketing.
Amie holds an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School.
TOM MORGAN
Chief Sales Officer
Tom Morgan brings over 30 years of sales leadership experience to the PAHI team. Morgan’s executive background with brands such as PUMA, Reebok, Keds and Life is Good is helping pave the way for PAHI.
Morgan has held major roles within his storied career. He has been a Senior VP of Global Sales, a Senior VP of Sales and Merchandising, a Global General Manager of a Footwear category as well as a General Manager of Wholesale. Most recently, Morgan was the Interim Head of Sales for OOFOS, supporting them in their sales strategy and sales structure reorganization.
In the past six years, Morgan has leveraged his expertise with his sales consulting company, Breakthrough Sales Solutions. Morgan has worked with high-growth companies and well-known brands to transform their sales teams and deliver growth. Morgan’s vast experience in P & L management has helped companies ranging from $15M to $600M in revenue to succeed previous goals in sales.
Morgan and his wife of 40 years, Kim, reside in Ocean Park, Maine and have two grown children. Tom Morgan is a fitness enthusiast who runs, bikes and hikes.
ZENON SMOTRYCZ
Vice President of Product
Zee Smotrycz brings 40+ years of worldwide footwear experience to the PAHI Balance Brand. A graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, Smotrycz, broke into the footwear industry with New Balance in 1978. During his seven years with New Balance, Smotrycz, acquired expert skills in product development, commercialization and manufacturing. These seven years of hands-on experience were pivotal in his future opportunities and achievements within the footwear industry.
Smotrycz would later become the Marketing Manager at Converse where he supervised the Running, Walking and Fitness categories of the company. After serving 10 years in various corporate footwear roles, Smotrycz, co founded Advanced Design Concepts. For 30 years, Smotrycz has provided the conceptualization, design and development of various footwear and sporting goods products and equipment.
Smotrycz has been a vital force in the development of the PAHI Balance Brand.
ERIC MOUILLON & DR. MARIE-JOSE’ TEISSEIRE
Senior Director of PAHI Worldwide & Director of Scientific Studies and Balance Technology
Eric Mouillon is the CEO of AXIS Confort Developpement in Toulouse, France. He and his partner, Dr. Marie-Jose' Teisseire, have developed the award-winning and patented Axis Balance Sole, a key design element of PAHI’s shoes. PAHI will be using the same outsole “catamaran or outrigger” technology created by Mouillon.
Mouillon is a Posturologist, Nutritionist, Osteopathic Energetician and Inventor in France. The Balance Outsole created by Mouillon has gone through years of scientific research, wear testing and balance testing conducted by Teisseire.
Balance testing the Axis and PAHI brand shoes has been Marie-Jose’ Teisseire, a Doctor of General Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. She is qualified in Gerontology, Palliative Care and Micronutrition. Teisseire has worked in the Geriatrics since 1990, and has been a strong force in Fall Risk Management throughout Southern France. Teisseire has additional degrees in Sports Medicine and Biology, which has played a significant role in the scientific testing and analysis of the AXIS Balance Shoe.
ERIC CLEMENT
Director of Product Design
Eric Clement is a graduate of Pratt Institute with a degree in Industrial Design and currently serves as the Lead Designer for Advanced Design Concepts and the PAHI Balance Brand. Clement has accumulated over 19 years of footwear design experience and is well-versed in several categories of footwear.
Clement is a dedicated technician who specializes in the creation of technically superior products that are performance oriented, aesthetically pleasing and commercially viable. He has designed footwear from technical athletic, to rugged outdoors to fashion casual. He demonstrates a keen eye for all types of footwear and is dedicated to the entire creation process.
Clement’s role at PAHI expands beyond design as he delves into the development and commercialization of every PAHI product. With the knowledge he has developed by working with suppliers and manufacturers from around the world, he works closely with PAHI’s manufacturing partners to push the design envelope to create new and innovative products.
JOHN R. PICCIANO
Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder, Investor
John Picciano currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Oglethorpe, Inc., a health care corporation that provides management solutions for hospitals that specialize in psychiatric services, drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation.
Picciano graduated from St. Leo College where he has served as St. Leo’s Director of the Board of Trustees. Upon graduation, Picciano attended St.Vincent De Paul Major Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. In 1973, he was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Orlando where he served for 14 years.
In 1978, Picciano was appointed Director of Ministry for Disabled Persons in the Diocese of Orlando. He was also responsible for drug and alcohol counseling and performing interventions while working for the church. During this time, Picciano earned a master’s degree in social work from Barry College.
Since leaving the priesthood, Picciano has served as the Chief Executive Officer for many psychiatric hospitals and recovery centers. In 1989, Picciano opened the first in patient treatment center for the hearing-impaired. It was one of the most successful in-patient substance abuse programs for hearing-impaired individuals in the nation.
Picciano is a Co-Founder of PICO, LLC and has been a major contributor to the PAHI Balance Brand, its story and the purpose of this innovative footwear concept. Picciano has spent his career helping those in need and he continues this pursuit with the creation of PAHI.
ROBERT M. COHEN