Words of Wisdom From FNAA’s New Hall of Fame Inductees

FN inducted four new members into its Hall of Fame on Wednesday at the FN Achievement Awards.

Laura O’Brien, the executive director of The Atlanta Shoe Market; Michael Greenberg, the president and co-founder of Skechers, and Massimo and Sabrina Bonini, the masterminds behind Milan-based Massimo Bonini were honored at the event.

Laura O’Brien’s children, Nikki O’Brien and Scott Conwell, presented their mom with her award.

“Her passion went beyond the shows. She poured herself into the Two Ten Foundation, advocating for women in the industry through WiFi and mentoring students in art and design schools. For our mom, this work was always about serving people,” Nikki, O’Brien’s daughter, said.

According to her son Scott, “She was the same with us. She never missed a basketball game while she was running a show, cheering louder than anyone [and] embarrassing us just enough. But she always showed up.”

For O’Brien, who sees herself in the service industry, what she loves most about the job is her ability to bring the industry together twice a year. She spoke about marching into The Atlanta Shoe Market office and asking for a job because she had two children, and was a single mom.

“I walked into the office and I had no idea what I was doing as my degree is in medical technology, so I totally switched gears. I asked them if I would have the opportunity, would they please hire me [and] so they did,” she said.

Things then shifted again. “Six months later, the director left and I applied for the job. The Board of Director said, ‘We don’t really think you have the experience to be the executive director.’ I said, ‘Please give me six months….Well, that was 40 years ago,” she said.

As O’Brien looked back on those years, she had some words of advice for all FNAA 2025 attendees: “What I want to leave you with is never be afraid to take a chance and believe in yourself.”

Actor Howie Mandel presented Michael Greenberg with his Hall of Fame award, telling everyone he initially lied about being a Skechers brand ambassador before he actually became one. In a funny recap of how that happened, and what led to his “white lie,” Mandel said: “So, I am now telling the world that I’m a liar, and lying will get you ahead, [which is] the underbelly of all retail.”

What Mandel also emphasized was how impressed he is by the company and its vision and innovation.

“We’ve manufactured, I don’t know how, but we’ve manufactured and shipped north of 4 billion pairs of shoes in the 33 years that we’ve been doing this. That’s pretty incredible,” Greenberg said, noting that he believes that if Skechers “slipped away, it would be missed.”

And although the brand has been sold to 3G Capital, Greenberg said he’s moving full speed ahead. “My work has just begun. I feel like I want to take this company into the future. I want to take Skechers from 5,300 stores to 10,000 stores, one shoe at a time,” he said.

Shoe designer Amina Muaddi, who presented the award to Massimo and Sabrina Bonini, said that when she was starting out and looking for an agent in 2012, she was told not to reach out to Massimo Bonini because the firm “is the best in the industry and they will not work with you.”

After getting rejected by everyone else, she reached out to the company as her last hope, “and they did decide to take a chance in me” because they saw the same fire in me that they had 30 years ago when they started their own company.

“They’re true visionaries who lead with respect for creativity and for the designers they represent,” Muaddi said.

In her acceptance speech, Sabrini Bonini said: It’s our privilege to help shape brands, support creatives and contribute to acceptance of Made in Italy.”

For 39 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2025 event is supported by Caleres, Listrak, Nordstrom, Skechers, Vibram and Wolverine Worldwide.