Jon Epstein, global chief commercial officer of Fila and president of Fila North America, died on Friday, Feb. 15, at the age of 63. He had undergone heart surgery about a week before. Jennifer Estabrook, who joined Fila in 2005 and is now chief operating officer of Fila North America and manager of Fila Luxembourg, will become acting president. Epstein spent 21 successful years at Adidas in the U.S., starting taking care of its distribution on the East Coast and then becoming national sales manager. He joined Fila in 1998 as president and chief executive of its U.S. operation, and he was instrumental in the brand's success in the late 1980s. In 2003, however, Epstein left Fila under a cloud, having pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide false statements to the auditors of Just for Feet, a now-defunct shoe retailer. In exchange for leniency, Epstein agreed to help the U.S. Department of Justice wrap up a three-year investigation into other executives at that company. Four years later, Epstein was back at Fila, this time in charge of Fila\'s North American business. This second stint led to major retail and brand partnerships – with Fendi, Urban Outfitters, Barneys New York and others – and restored Fila to profitability. Under Epstein's stewardship, Fila developed the Disruptor 2, which sold well and was named FN magazine's “Shoe of the Year.” Just last year, Fila signed a lifetime deal with Grant Hill, the NBA legend from the 1990s.

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