Sandi Williams

Director of Product Development
Stride Rite Children's Group, Asia

Sandi’s always loved shopping for shoes and boots, so she wasn’t surprised when her career path led her to branded wholesale companies like Cole Haan and Sebago. She joined Payless ShoeSource in 2007 as Product Development Manager and expected to spend several years learning the retail side of things. Little did she know that she would soon be living in China and traveling around Asia with the Robeez team and others. Just about a year after joining the company, she became the Director of Product Development for Stride Rite Children’s Group in Asia. She manages a team of product developers and “commercializers” responsible for the development of all the brands within the group. Her team takes a designer’s work from a 2-D sketch to a first prototype, all the way up to the production handoff at the factories. “Collective Brands offered me an opportunity to expand my skill sets while staying within the family, and I am very grateful for the support I have received to make this opportunity possible.”

“The breadth of products and price points creates a lot of opportunity within the organization for growth and learning across brands and departments. Everyone is very friendly and willing to help a newcomer learn the processes and business. It’s a great place to work.”