Designer Brands appoints Doug Howe to succeed CEO effective April 1

Designer Brands announced a planned CEO transition process. The Board appointed Doug Howe, President of DSW, to succeed Roger Rawlins as CEO, effective April 1, 2023, at which time Rawlins will step down as CEO and as a member of the Board. Rawlins will continue to work with the company for a twelve-month period in a Strategic Advisor role to facilitate leadership transition. This transition is the direct result of the Board of Directors’ long-term succession planning with respect to the CEO role. Howe currently serves as President of DSW and Executive VP of Designer Brands. Howe joined the company in May 2022, after four years as Chief Merchandising Officer at Kohl’s. Prior to Kohl’s, he was the Global Chief Merchandising Officer at Qurate Retail Group. He also held leadership roles at Gap, including product design and development of vertical brands, and various merchandise leadership roles at Walmart. Management will conduct a comprehensive search to identify the next President of DSW.