He is loud, awkward and extremely successful: Oliver Reichert. The director of Birkenstock has transformed the staid sandal company into a glamor brand. Now he’s bringing Birkenstock to Wall Street. Value of the deal: eight billion dollars! Who is the man who made grandma’s slippers cool?
For decades they were considered the ugliest shoes in the world. Ergonomically shaped, visually expandable. Nowadays, Birkenstock sandals are the latest fashion trend. Most recently, eco-slippers even featured prominently in the Hollywood blockbuster “Barbie.” Now the German company is venturing onto Wall Street in New York. The first day of trading is scheduled for the week beginning October 9. Ten to fifteen percent of the shares are estimated to be worth at least eight billion dollars (7.47 billion euros).
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
