Designer Brands Inc. Names Andrea O'Donnell in Role of Brands President

Rhea-AI Summary

Designer Brands Inc. (DBI) has appointed Andrea O'Donnell as the Brands President and Executive Vice President. O'Donnell will be responsible for the company's full suite of owned and licensed brands, including Keds, Vince Camuto, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Le TIGRE, Lucky Brand, Jessica Simpson, Kelly & Katie, Crown Vintage, Mix No. 6, and others. She will report directly to the CEO, Doug Howe. O'Donnell brings extensive experience in merchandising, brand marketing, and commercial planning from her previous roles at Everlane, Ugg, Koolaburra, DFS Group, Lane Crawford, and other retail brands.

Market Research Analyst

The appointment of Andrea O'Donnell as Brands President and Executive Vice President of Designer Brands Inc. signifies a strategic move to bolster the company's brand management and growth. O'Donnell's extensive background in merchandising, brand marketing and commercial planning is poised to enrich the company's portfolio, which includes a variety of owned and licensed brands. Her previous success in scaling Ugg's annual revenue significantly while at Deckers suggests potential for similar growth at Designer Brands.

From a market perspective, O'Donnell's experience with global brands and her role in expanding Ugg's revenue streams could indicate future international market penetration and an enhanced direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy for Designer Brands. This could potentially increase market share and customer loyalty, contributing to a competitive edge in the highly dynamic retail footwear industry.

Retail Industry Expert

Andrea O'Donnell's track record of revitalizing Ugg and her experience across various global retail brands aligns with Designer Brands' omni-channel strategy and focus on trend-right offerings. Her past roles demonstrate a proficiency in not only increasing revenue but also in enhancing customer experience and brand storytelling, key components in today's retail environment.

Her appointment is likely to be viewed positively by investors and stakeholders, as it suggests a commitment to innovation and adaptability within Designer Brands' operations. The emphasis on omni-channel customer experience is particularly relevant, as the retail sector increasingly shifts towards integrated shopping experiences that blend online and offline touchpoints.

Financial Analyst

Financially, the impact of O'Donnell's appointment will be scrutinized through the performance metrics of Designer Brands in subsequent quarters. Her prior role at Everlane, known for its online-first approach and her experience in scaling Ugg's revenue, may indicate a strategic shift that could optimize Designer Brands' sales channels and improve margins, especially in the DTC segment.

Investors will likely monitor the company's stock performance for any changes in investor sentiment following this announcement. Ultimately, the true measure of O'Donnell's impact will be reflected in the company's financial results, specifically revenue growth and profitability in the competitive footwear market.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE: DBI) (the "Company" and "Designer Brands"), one of the world's largest designers, producers, and retailers of footwear and accessories, today announced that Andrea O'Donnell has been named to the role of Brands President and Executive Vice President of Designer Brands, with her appointment to be effective as of January 29, 2024.

As Brands President, O'Donnell will be globally responsible for Designer Brands' full suite of Owned and licensed brands, which includes Keds, Vince Camuto, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Le TIGRE, Lucky Brand, Jessica Simpson, Kelly & Katie, Crown Vintage, Mix No. 6 and others. She will be responsible for all aspects of the Company's brand portfolio, from design and sourcing to sales, both wholesale and DTC. O'Donnell will report directly to Designer Brands' Chief Executive Officer, Doug Howe.

"Joining Designer Brands at this stage of their brand building journey is such a unique and exciting opportunity for me," said O'Donnell. "Designer Brands has long been a power player in the footwear industry and has now thoughtfully built a diverse and complementary brand portfolio to meet diverse and ever-changing consumer preferences. I am thrilled to begin working with the entire Designer Brands team to continue to build our trend-right and growing brand portfolio."

Howe said, "With Andrea's appointment as Brands President, we are bringing into our organization a distinctive and crucial skillset that we believe will enable us to accelerate our roadmap as we continue growing as a brand builder. Her deep experience and tremendous track record, which includes the revitalization of the powerhouse brand, Ugg, will be a critical asset for us moving forward. The passion for design and storytelling she brings to the table will further bolster our strategy of delivering a unique, omni-channel customer experience."

O'Donnell brings to the Company an extensive background in merchandising, brand marketing, and commercial planning. She joins Designer Brands from Everlane, a fashion retailer, where she has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2021. Prior to Everlane, O'Donnell led the expansion of Ugg and Koolaburra brands at Deckers as President of Fashion Lifestyle – during her tenure, Ugg expanded annual revenue by $500 million to over $2 billion. Prior to Deckers, Andrea served as President, Global Merchandising at DFS Group, a multibillion-dollar retailer majority owned by LVMH. Earlier, she served as the Executive Director of Lane Crawford, where she was responsible for merchandising, merchandise planning, marketing, CRM and store planning for the Asia Pacific region across a portfolio of 500 brands. Andrea has also held various posts at retail brands, including John Lewis, Hackett London, Jaeger, and Debenhams.

O'Donnell currently sits on the Board of Directors for Fashionphile. She holds an MBA from the London Business School and a bachelor's degree from the London School of Economics.

About Designer Brands
Designer Brands is one of the world's largest designers, producers and retailers of the most recognizable footwear brands and accessories, transforming and defining the footwear industry through a mission of inspiring self-expression. With a diversified, world-class portfolio of coveted brands, including Crown Vintage, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, Keds, Kelly & Katie, Le TIGRE, Lucky Brand, Mix No. 6, Topo Athletic, Vince Camuto and others, Designer Brands designs and produces on-trend footwear and accessories for all of life's occasions delivered to the consumer through a robust direct-to-consumer omni-channel infrastructure and powerful national wholesale distribution. Powered by a billion-dollar digital commerce business across multiple domains and nearly 640 DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse and The Shoe Company stores in North America, Designer Brands delivers current, in-line footwear and accessories from the largest national brands in the industry and holds leading market share positions in key product categories across Women's, Men's and Kids'. Designer Brands also distributes its brands internationally through select wholesale and distributor relationships while also leveraging design and sourcing expertise to build private label product for national retailers. Designer Brands is committed to being a difference maker in the world, taking steps forward to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the footwear industry and supporting a global community and the health of the planet by donating more than nine million pairs of shoes to the global non-profit Soles4Souls. To learn more, visit www.designerbrands.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as "outlook," "could," "believes," "expects," "potential," "may," "will," "should," "would," "approximately," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates," "targets," or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. These statements are based on the Company's current views and expectations and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: uncertain general economic conditions, including recession concerns, inflationary pressures and rising interest rates, and the related impacts to consumer discretionary spending; supply chain challenges; risks related to adverse public health developments; our ability to anticipate and respond to fashion trends, consumer preferences, and changing customer expectations; our ability to maintain strong relationships with our vendors, manufacturers, licensors, and retailer customers; risks related to losses or disruptions associated with our distribution systems, including our distribution centers and stores, whether as a result of reliance on third-party providers or otherwise; our ability to retain our existing management team, and continue to attract qualified new personnel; risks related to cyber security threats and privacy or data security breaches or the potential loss or disruption of our information technology ("IT") systems; risks related to the implementation of an enterprise resource planning system ("ERP") software solution and other IT systems; our reliance on our loyalty programs and marketing to drive traffic, sales, and customer loyalty; our ability to protect our reputation and to maintain the brands we license; our competitiveness with respect to style, price, brand availability, and customer service; risks related to our international operations, including international trade, our reliance on foreign sources for merchandise, exposure to political, economic, operational, compliance and other risks, and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; our ability to comply with privacy laws and regulations, as well as other legal obligations; domestic and global political and social conditions; geopolitical tensions, including relating to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war; risks associated with climate change and other corporate responsibility issues; and uncertainties related to future legislation, regulatory reform, policy changes, or interpretive guidance on existing legislation. Risks and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements are described in the Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K or other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the time when made. Except as may be required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any future events or circumstances.

For further information:
Investor Relations: Edelman Smithfield for Designer Brands, DesignerBrandsIR@Edelman.com
Media: mediarelations@designerbrands.com

 

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SOURCE Designer Brands Inc.

FAQ

Who has been appointed as the Brands President and Executive Vice President of Designer Brands Inc.?

Andrea O'Donnell has been appointed as the Brands President and Executive Vice President of Designer Brands Inc.

What are the brands that Andrea O'Donnell will be responsible for at Designer Brands Inc.?

Andrea O'Donnell will be responsible for the full suite of owned and licensed brands at Designer Brands Inc., including Keds, Vince Camuto, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Le TIGRE, Lucky Brand, Jessica Simpson, Kelly & Katie, Crown Vintage, Mix No. 6, and others.

Who will Andrea O'Donnell report to in her new role at Designer Brands Inc.?

Andrea O'Donnell will report directly to Designer Brands Inc.'s Chief Executive Officer, Doug Howe, in her new role.

What is Andrea O'Donnell's background and experience relevant to her new role at Designer Brands Inc.?

Andrea O'Donnell brings extensive experience in merchandising, brand marketing, and commercial planning from her previous roles at Everlane, Ugg, Koolaburra, DFS Group, Lane Crawford, and other retail brands.