Doug Bergeron Identifies Proven Retail Operator Stefanie Tsen Ward as Interim CEO Candidate for Ethan Allen
The proposed interim appointment depends on the election of Bergeron’s director slate and a subsequent Board appointment.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Ms. Ward Brings a Track Record of Modernizing Iconic Retail Brands Through the Integration of Digital and In-Store Experiences and is Prepared to Lead Ethan Allen from Day One
Shareholders Should Not Empower the Incumbent Board to Select Ethan Allen’s Next CEO After Failing to Undertake Meaningful Succession Planning Until Faced with a Contested Election
Mr. Bergeron Urges Shareholders to Vote the WHITE Proxy Card “FOR” All Five Director Nominees Ahead of the November 4 Annual Meeting
Stefanie Tsen Ward
Ms. Ward is a seasoned operating executive with deep experience at leading global luxury retail brands. Most recently, as Chief Integrated Retail and Customer Officer at Neiman Marcus Group, she led the
Consistent with Mr. Bergeron’s plan to transition leadership and restore profitable growth at Ethan Allen, if his slate is elected, Ms. Ward would assume responsibility for day-to-day operations immediately following the 2026 Annual Meeting, while the reconstituted Board executes a disciplined first 100-day plan focused on validating the key assumptions and economics underlying the Company’s strategic direction and completing a rigorous search for a permanent CEO. Ms. Ward would work in close partnership with Mr. Bergeron, whose experience as a public company CEO and operator would complement her deep retail expertise. As previously announced, Ethan Allen’s Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari would be offered a non-voting advisory role as Chairman Emeritus during the planned leadership transition.
Mr. Bergeron commented, “Stefanie has spent her career driving multi-billion-dollar P&Ls, overseeing thousands of employees, and modernizing iconic retail brands through the integration of digital and in-store experiences – precisely the expertise required to revitalize Ethan Allen. She knows the Company, she knows our plan, and she is prepared to lead from day one. Stefanie is an exceptionally qualified interim CEO candidate who is equipped to do right by Ethan Allen’s shareholders and employees.
“Notably, all three leading independent proxy advisory firms have recommended removing Farooq Kathwari from the Board and raised serious concerns about Ethan Allen’s leadership and oversight. Yet under the incumbent Board’s plan, Mr. Kathwari would remain CEO until mid-2027 and on the Board thereafter. The same directors who failed to hold him accountable for years of declining performance and only initiated a CEO search after our campaign began would select his successor. After years of underperformance and reactive succession planning, shareholders should not be asked to entrust Ethan Allen’s future to the same leadership structure that has failed them. From November 4, our nominees would serve as a highly engaged Board, ensuring continuity while delivering early wins in our customer-first transformation. Each of us is ready to roll up our sleeves and support Stefanie and the entire Ethan Allen team.”
Ms. Ward added, “Ethan Allen is an iconic American brand with incredibly talented associates and a heritage of craftsmanship few furniture companies can match. My priority from day one will be execution: connecting the Company’s design centers and digital channels into a seamless customer experience, empowering our associates with the tools to deliver, and holding the business accountable for profitable growth. I am proud to have the confidence of Doug and my fellow director nominees, and I am ready to work alongside the Company’s leadership team, design center teams, and manufacturing workforce to restore this great brand for employees, customers, and shareholders.”
Mr. Bergeron and his nominees have outlined a disciplined first 100-day plan designed to ensure operational continuity, establish clear accountability and lay the foundation for sustained profitable growth. As interim CEO, Ms. Ward would oversee day-to-day operations and collaborate with a temporary Strategy and Transformation Committee comprising all five directors, with priorities including:
- Ensuring stability across all business functions, building on the Company’s existing operational leadership while assessing where capabilities need to be strengthened;
- Establishing the facts, setting priorities and moving quickly on the highest-confidence actions;
- Challenging the status quo across customer, brand, product, digital, stores, manufacturing, technology, talent and capital allocation;
- Setting clear owners, KPIs and milestones for each initiative and demanding results; and
- Giving the Board full access to the Company’s people, data and economics to define the mandate for the permanent CEO.
Additional materials related to Mr. Bergeron’s campaign, including video interviews with his five director candidates, may be found at www.EthanAllenGrowth.com. Shareholders are encouraged to follow the campaign’s LinkedIn and X pages to stay informed in real time.
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT. RENEW AN AMERICAN ICON. VOTE FOR ALL FIVE DGB NOMINEES ON THE WHITE UNIVERSAL PROXY CARD TODAY
Shareholders with questions on how to vote their shares may visit www.EthanAllenGrowth.com/How-To-Vote.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DGB Investment, Inc. and Douglas G. Bergeron, together with the other participants in their solicitation (collectively, “DGB”), have filed a definitive proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to be used to solicit proxies with respect to the election of DGB’s slate of highly qualified director candidates and the other proposals to be presented at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., a
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027895597/en/
Media Contact:
DGB@gasthalter.com
Investor Contact:
Bruce Goldfarb / Chuck Garske
Okapi Partners
(877) 285-5990
info@okapipartners.com
Source: On Behalf of Doug Bergeron