May. 20, 2022
Our Placement of Doug Howe as President of DSW
Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE: DBI), one of North America’s largest designers, producers and retailers of footwear and accessories, today announced that Doug Howe has been named President of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse and Executive Vice President of Designer Brands.
Howe’s appointment brings continued strength and momentum to Designer Brands putting customers, brands and speed at the forefront of the retailer’s 519 U.S. store locations and direct-to-consumer channels. As President of DSW, Doug will be responsible for day-to-day leadership of the company and bringing DSW’s differentiated customer experience and desired brands to life across direct-to-consumer channels. Doug will report directly to Designer Brands’ CEO Roger Rawlins, and his appointment is effective in late May.
Howe is a 30+ year retail veteran with deep experience in vertical and national brand building and direct-to-consumer growth. He most recently served as Chief Merchandising Officer at Kohl’s, and held prior leadership positions across merchandising, design, product development and planning at Qurate Retail Group, Old Navy, Walmart and May Department Stores. Howe is a graduate of Creighton University with a degree in business administration and management.
“I’m privileged to join DSW as we evolve retail to the next level, with a determined focus on customers, offering the best owned and national brands and delivering products with incredible speed,” said Howe. “DSW is more than just a place to buy shoes, it’s an innovative enterprise on multiple fronts. With so much synergy fueling DSW’s business plans, I’m excited to partner with all DSW associates to continue the momentum and growth for the future.”
“Designer Brands and DSW are hyper-focused on maintaining our edge across the competitive landscape,” added Rawlins. “I have the highest confidence in Doug’s leadership to guide us in our stores and ecommerce operations to benefit our owned brands, while focusing on the athletic and fashion brands that our 28 million loyalty customers love. DSW has a bright future ahead with Doug’s proven retail experience helping advance our business priorities of customers, brands and speed.”
About Designer Brands
Designer Brands is one of North America’s largest designers, producers, and retailers of footwear and accessories. Designer Brands operates a portfolio of retail concepts in nearly 700 locations under the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse®, The Shoe Company®, and Shoe Warehouse® banners. Designer Brands designs and produces footwear and accessories through Camuto Group, a leading manufacturer selling in more than 5,400 stores worldwide. Camuto Group owns licensing rights for the Jessica Simpson® footwear business and footwear and handbag licenses for Lucky Brand®. In partnership with a joint venture with Authentic Brands Group, Designer Brands also owns a stake in Vince Camuto®, Louise et Cie®, and others. More information can be found at www.designerbrands.com.