Designer Brands director granted 928 stock units

Designer Brands Inc. director Joanne Zaiac received a grant of 928 stock units on April 10, 2026.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Designer Brands Inc. director Joanne Zaiac received a grant of 928 stock units on April 10, 2026. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one Class A common share and was awarded as dividend equivalent rights on previously granted stock units at no cost.

The stock units vest on the grant date and will convert into an equal number of Class A common shares when Zaiac leaves the Board of Directors. Following this grant, she directly holds a total of 124,221 stock units, including accrued dividend equivalent rights.

Insider Trade Summary

Grant/Award: 928 shares

Grant/Award 1 txn

Insider Zaiac Joanne

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Stock Unit	928	$0.00	$0.00

Holdings After Transaction: Stock Unit — 124,221 contracts (Direct)

Footnotes (4)

1. F1. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock.
2. F2. Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units.
3. F3. The stock unit becomes vested upon the date of grant and will be converted to an equal number of shares of Issuer's Class A common stock upon Insider's termination of service from the Board of Directors.
4. F4. Total includes accrued dividend equivalent rights.

Key Figures

Stock units granted: 928 stock units Grant price per unit: $0.00 per unit Total units after grant: 124,221 stock units +1 more

4 metrics

Stock units granted 928 stock units Grant on April 10, 2026 as dividend equivalent rights

Grant price per unit $0.00 per unit Awarded at no purchase price to the director

Total units after grant 124,221 stock units Director’s direct holdings following the April 10, 2026 grant

Underlying common shares 928 Class A common shares Each stock unit converts into one Class A share

Key Terms

Stock Unit, dividend equivalent rights, Class A common stock, termination of service

4 terms

Stock Unit financial

"Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share"

dividend equivalent rights financial

"Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units"

Dividend equivalent rights are promises that mirror the cash payments shareholders get from a company’s profits, but they are paid to holders of certain awards (like stock options or restricted stock units) rather than to actual shares. Think of them as a paycheck top‑up that matches dividends while the award is not yet a real stock, and they matter to investors because they add to employee compensation costs and potential share dilution, affecting company profitability and per‑share value.

Class A common stock financial

"receive one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock"

Class A common stock is a category of a company’s shares that carries a specific set of ownership rights—most commonly defined voting power and claims on dividends—set out in the company’s charter. For investors it matters because the class determines how much influence you have over corporate decisions, the share’s likely dividend and trading behavior, and how it compares in value to other share classes, like choosing a particular seat with different privileges at the company’s decision-making table.

termination of service financial

"converted to an equal number of shares upon Insider's termination of service"

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What insider transaction did Designer Brands (DBI) report for Joanne Zaiac?

Designer Brands reported that director Joanne Zaiac received a grant of 928 stock units on April 10, 2026. These units were awarded as dividend equivalent rights tied to previously granted stock units and carry no purchase price.

What does each stock unit granted to Joanne Zaiac at Designer Brands (DBI) represent?

Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Class A common stock of Designer Brands. The units effectively mirror the value of one common share and will convert into shares under the specified vesting and termination conditions.

When do Joanne Zaiac’s Designer Brands (DBI) stock units vest and convert to shares?

The granted stock units vest immediately on the date of grant. They will be converted into an equal number of Class A common shares upon Zaiac’s termination of service from the company’s Board of Directors, according to the filing footnotes.

Why were 928 stock units granted to Joanne Zaiac at Designer Brands (DBI)?

The 928 stock units represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units. Instead of receiving cash dividends, Zaiac accrues additional stock units that mirror dividend payments, increasing her equity-based compensation over time.

How many stock units does Joanne Zaiac hold in Designer Brands (DBI) after this grant?

After the April 10, 2026 grant, Joanne Zaiac directly holds 124,221 stock units in Designer Brands. This total includes the newly granted 928 units and previously accumulated units, along with the associated accrued dividend equivalent rights noted in the filing.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 04/14/2026 - 02:38 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Zaiac Joanne

(Last) (First) (Middle)

810 DSW DRIVE

(Street)

COLUMBUS OHIO 43219

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Designer Brands Inc. [ DBI ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/10/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Unit	(1)	04/10/2026		A		928(2)		(3)	(3)	Class A Common Shares	928	$0.0000	124,221(4)	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock.

2. Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units.

3. The stock unit becomes vested upon the date of grant and will be converted to an equal number of shares of Issuer's Class A common stock upon Insider's termination of service from the Board of Directors.

4. Total includes accrued dividend equivalent rights.

	Katherine Alfano, Attorney-in-Fact	04/14/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)