Rack Room Shoes president and CEO Mark Lardie is kicking off May with a retirement announcement.

Lardie has been president and CEO of the private shoe retailer since June 2012. Through it all, he has been an ardent believer in brick-and-mortar and steered the formidable 100-year-plus chain through big changes in the industry.

“Today, we recognize and celebrate Mark Lardie as he retires after 14 remarkable years at Rack Room Shoes,” Rack Room said in a statement on LinkedIn. “Mark’s leadership, steady guidance and commitment to excellence have left a lasting mark on our organization and on so many of us who’ve had the privilege to work alongside him.”

In a interview with Footwear News in September 2022, Lardie said: “Retail is a relentless game. Every morning, across the country, 520 of our store managers will open their stores and start their business again. So there aren’t a lot of chances to pause.

The industry veteran held executive leadership positions at Caleres, Famous , Footstar’s Athletic Division and The Athlete’s Foot before joining Rack Room.

In a recent interview with FN, Lardie said he doesn’t “think too much about legacy,” focusing on a collaborative environment where people know that there are different ways to contribute, “not only to your organization but to the footwear industry.”

And while retail remains challenging given its uncertainties, Lardie has a holistic perspective on how to manage: “The tariffs are tough and the supply chain shock was tough, and now the war and rising oil prices, but they all pale in comparison to closing all your stores for a period of time [during COVID].” So I think [the pandemic] sort of helped everybody realize that what seems like a catastrophe today is probably just another set of challenges that we have laid out in front of us, and so we try to be calm and carry on.”

Lardie will be honored at June’s Two Ten Gala, where he will receive the 2026 A.A. Bloom Memorial Award. The award recognizes an individual whose hard work, dedication and initiative have furthered the mission of the foundation. Two Ten noted that through his decades of personal and professional support, Lardie has “exemplified that spirit, leaving a legacy of generosity, care, and commitment to lifting lives in footwear.”

Rack Room Shoes, owned by the Deichmann Group, has not revealed its next leader.