He died on 8 October, having guided the Spanish footwear association for 34 years, becoming a reference point for the sector

Rafael Calvo Rodriguez died on October 8th at the age of 69. An emblematic figure for the sector, Calvo was director of the Spanish Footwear Industry Federation (FICE) for 34 years, up to his retirement in 2013, in the role of Secretary General and then Executive President. Born in Madrid on 24 October 1944, lawyer and functionary of State Administration, he left this career in 1978 when becoming involved for the first time in the footwear sector as councilor after holding managerial positions in important firms. Over the years he also held the role of President of the European Footwear Confederation in diverse mandates, up to becoming Honorary President. He played leading roles in many other institutions, always focused on promoting the footwear segment.

The FICE remembers him as «an untiring worker of decided character and strong personality; a tough interlocutor but of open and flexible mentality, capable of reaching an agreement even in difficult situations, thus managing to keep the sector united and bring it prestige».