Sole Man

From his office in the City that Never Sleeps, Dave Gruver is helping UGG Australia expand its consumer reach while mentoring the next generation of the fashion industry. For this Maryland native with strong West Virginia roots, where you come from is just as important as where you want to go.

By Jennifer Jett Prezkop

There’s a popular saying at UGG Australia: “What got you here won’t get you there.” These words are a constant reminder to the company’s employees that progress is not achieved through repetition but through innovation, and the leaders at UGG are well-versed in this philosophy. The UGG brand was founded in 1978 and today has more than 130 locations around the world. From sheepskin boots to slippers, loungewear, accessories and the Home Collection, UGG has been growing its reach and expanding its portfolio for almost 40 years.

For Dave Gruver, the national sales director of UGG Australia’s lifestyle category, even though a career in fashion wasn’t in his plans, it seems to have been in the stars. Gruver joined the UGG brand team in 2010 after spending time at Elizabeth Arden, Neuhaus and BODHI Handbags. Having wise career mentors and taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves, like working on the retail side of the industry and learning firsthand about international business, were the stepping stones that led Gruver to his current position at one of the most sought-after fashion brands. Today, from his office in the Crown Building on Fifth Avenue in New York City, he helps oversee several business categories, including accessories, outerwear, loungewear, slippers and the Home Collection.

From the Director’s Chair
A typical work day for Gruver involves business meetings with the executives and buyers at UGG’s retail partners like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. He spends a considerable amount of time on the phone with his 12 regional sales representatives who manage the day-to-day business of their retailers. This communication with the regional reps, he says, is critical to UGG’s success. The rest of his day is spent with the UGG brand teams based in Santa Barbara, CA.

“We are constantly discussing future products and merchandising and communicating customer feedback to make future collections better,” Gruver says of his time spent with the brand teams. “It is a daily balance of living in the present as well as in the future. For example, we are already developing the fall/holiday 2016 line. The fall/holiday season is so important to any brand in retail.”

Like the peak season, the consumer’s experience is critical to a brand’s success. One of the biggest challenges facing the fashion and retail industries today is the fact that the consumer is now in control of the buying decision. “They expect to be able to find the product they want at any given time or place at the proper value,” he explains. “There is pressure on both retailers and brands to figure out this new consumer who is more informed and selective than ever before. A brand like UGG has to be able to deliver a consistent brand experience flawlessly, whether it be a purchase through UGG’s website or retailers like Nordstrom, Zappos or Yarid’s at The Greenbrier.”

One way in which UGG Australia chose to address the challenge of delivering a high-quality consumer experience was through international expansion. In 2006, UGG opened its first retail location in Japan. The decision to expand into Asia was one based on research and data that showed a strong following of European and Asian consumers. “Knowing we have consumers who love our brand in this region of the world made it natural to open stores in Japan and China. Our most recent expansion was in the Asia region, where we opened 24 UGG concept stores.”

Business growth is always accompanied by a fair share of challenges, and with international expansion, those challenges can be even more complicated. For UGG Australia, though, none are as critical as communication. “There are multiple challenges when you have a brand that is global, and we work very hard with each country’s region to ensure the brand message of UGG is very consistent,” says Gruver. “I think that is the most critical element in the success of a brand like UGG: to make sure a consumer has a consistent, emotional connection each time they touch the UGG brand, regardless of where they interact with our brand. There are always issues to address like currency exchanges, customer sizing, weather patterns, critical holidays and cultural differences, but with consistent and open communication, those can be addressed.”

Gruver at Coopers Rock in Bruceton Mills, WV, with daughters Emma and Madelyn.

An Appalachian Upbringing
While his career choices have landed him in the Big Apple, where he now lives with his wife and three daughters, Gruver’s roots lie four hours southwest in Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. He has fond memories of growing up in Hagerstown with his two sisters, Dana and Paula. Gruver’s grandparents lived in Shepherdstown, and growing up, Gruver spent holidays and vacations at their home.

“Shepherdstown holds many family memories,” he says. “My grandparents had a historic house on East High Street near the middle of town, and I have a lot of memories of Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other events there. My wife, Michele, and our three daughters love Shepherdstown, especially during the Christmas holiday. When we visit, we make it a point to squeeze in breakfast at Betty’s Restaurant or dessert at the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery. We also try to attend services at Otterbein United Methodist Church in Martinsburg. My great-grandfather and grandfather were both ministers at this church, and my dad’s side of the family is still very involved. There is a small chapel in the church called the Gruver Chapel that was named after my great-grandfather, and we enjoy visiting it. I think these visits help my daughters understand a little of where I came from, and that’s important to me.”

Just as important to Gruver is St. Maria Goretti High School, the private school in Hagerstown, MD, where he received his high school diploma. “My four years at Goretti was probably the most influential period in my life,” he says. “The influence of the teachers and that community will be everlasting. It was the perfect mix of faculty, family and religious and spiritual support that allowed me to really grow in that period of my life.”

The Path to UGG
Growing up, it was in sports, not fashion, that Gruver imagined his future would unfold. “When I was in high school and college, I really wanted a career in college athletics,” he recalls. “It certainly wasn’t a dream to be in the fashion industry. In hindsight, though, I was fortunate that events fell into place that helped me start on a path into the world of fashion. Early on, it was not by design, and in many aspects, I was very lucky.”

Gruver’s first job was in the management training program at JCPenney, an experience he says was one of the more beneficial career decisions he made. His two years with the company helped him establish a strong foundation in fashion and gave him experience in working with great brands. It also allowed him to develop strong relationships with many of the company’s vendors, including Elizabeth Arden, the cosmetic company where Gruver went on to spend 12 years of his career.
After leaving Elizabeth Arden, Gruver joined Neuhaus, a luxury Belgian chocolate company. “It was a nice change of pace for me and was an awesome experience working with a smaller company that was based in Belgium,” says Gruver. “I learned a lot during this time from my exposure to the challenges of building a European brand here in the states.”

Gruver missed the fast pace of the fashion categories in department stores, though, and 10 years ago, he returned to these products. For the last five years, he has been with UGG Australia. “UGG is one of the all-time great stories in retailing,” he says, “and it is not a stretch to say that those who have the opportunity to work with our parent company, Deckers Brands, and specifically the UGG brand, are some of the luckiest people in the industry.”

Finding the Right Fit
Having the right work force in place is imperative to UGG Australia’s continued growth and success, and according to Gruver, UGG is constantly recruiting. “We are always aware of the talent pool that is available well before any openings happen, and I think that is an important trait of any good company.”

One strong recruiting tool for UGG is the state-of-the-art corporate office in Santa Barbara, CA. The Deckers Brands’ corporate office aims to enhance employees’ lives with car washing, dry cleaning and massage therapy services on-site, as well as a fresh produce truck and coffee service. The office is located less than a mile from the beach, and UGG makes bikes and stand-up paddleboards available for employees to use during their lunch breaks.

“A beautiful campus, free health club and these kinds of feel-good opportunities make for a special environment, and that’s helpful in recruiting new talent to join our organization,” Gruver says. “We have created a culture and environment that has resulted in very low turnover, and the job opportunities that do occur are a result of the growth of the brand and new positions being created. UGG Australia is a coveted place to work.”

Gruver, left, with WVU student and UGG intern Chelsea Salvemini and UGG Showroom Coordinator Abbey Traylor.

Fostering Young Talent
According to Gruver, it’s not special skills or characteristics that lead to success in the fashion industry but a commitment to excellence and a passion for the end result. “I don’t think it’s any different from any other business,” he says. “Sure, if you want to be a designer or creative director, you need a natural talent for sketching or being able to communicate your inspiration, but in the fashion industry, there are multiple opportunities to add value to an organization in many different capacities. As Richard Branson once said, ‘If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes—then learn how to do it later!’ You can always develop skills, but you need the passion. Every single brand within the Deckers portfolio came from someone following their passion. It should always be one of your leading factors in getting into this industry.”

Gruver is a firm believer in the importance of mentoring students. “I had great mentors along the way who really influenced my career, and I think it’s important to pay it forward and help the new generation find its way. I also think students’ ideas and ways of thinking are amazing. It can be very refreshing and invigorating to listen to their visions of how things can be accomplished. It is not a stretch to say we get more out of the relationship than they do.”

UGG Australia’s Loungineers
Gruver has had a lifelong love for West Virginia University (WVU) that began with—you guessed it—sports. “Some of my best memories of my dad include heading to Morgantown to watch basketball and football games. This was a tradition he started when I was very young, and I have spent many weekends there.”
It was this Mountaineer connection and a chance encounter with WVU staff in New York City that provided Gruver the opportunity to help mentor some of the university’s students. During an unlikely crossing of paths in the Big Apple with Elizabeth Vitullo, the assistant dean of graduate programs at the WVU College of Business and Economics (B&E), and Bonnie Anderson, the director of alumni relations and assistant director of development, the conversation turned to how Gruver could assist WVU students with attaining real-world work experience. In addition to available UGG internships and his guest speaking engagements, Gruver partnered with WVU for the second year in a row to put together Loungineers, a pop-up shop project for the Morgantown campus.

“They did such a great job, especially with the marketing aspect of the pop-up shop,” says Gruver. “I was beyond impressed with the concepts of how they drove business to the shop over those three or four days. From choosing the dates to coincide with Fall Family Weekend to the great job they did on social media to create more store traffic and working with the undergrad merchandising and design students on displays and staffing of the store, they did a very good job of covering key elements that are necessary to achieve long-term success for a retail store. Plus, the sales results were fantastic. They generated as much, if not more, business over that weekend as some of the key locations of our major department store clients.”

More important than the sales success was the knowledge achieved through the weekend event. “One of the biggest takeaways for the students was learning how many different challenges can arise from a fairly simple concept,” says Gruver. “We had many conversations and challenges ranging from legal issues with the existing bookstore on campus and securing space from the university to how to manage inventory, shipping and logistics of inventory. There are so many different touch points in retail, and all can be very critical to the success of a project. I think it was eye-opening for them to see all the different scenarios that can arise within a retail environment.”

Remembering His Roots
Gruver knows West Virginia is a special place, and he admires the work ethic of the families in this region. He feels a personal responsibility to help ensure local students are made aware of opportunities and, more importantly, that they have the confidence needed to succeed in any profession. “I love seeing an intern walk into our office in New York City, which can be pretty impressive and intimidating all at the same time, then have them walk out eight weeks later with the belief they can be successful in this environment,” he says. “The best way for us to give back is by sharing our time, experiences and real-life knowledge. Seeing students benefit from this is right at the top of my most rewarding professional experiences.”

For Gruver, helping students also helps him ensure his wife and daughters continue to see his passion for the Hagerstown area, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and WVU. “I want them to see the importance of West Virginia, where I came from and how special it is to me. I hope one day they realize that even though they grew up in one of the largest metropolitan areas, they have also been influenced by the wonderful state of West Virginia through my love of the area and respect for the work ethic of its people.”