Designer Brands Inc. Solidifies Strong Leadership Team By Naming Sarah Crockett as Chief Marketing Officer of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 3, 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, announces a critical hire to support the company's transformational efforts to adapt and curate the best shoes for customers.

Sarah Crockett has been named to the role of Chief Marketing Officer ("CMO") of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse ("DSW") effective June 6, 2024.

As CMO of DSW, Crockett will be responsible for overseeing the planning, development and execution of all marketing and advertising initiatives for DSW's nearly 500 U.S. store locations and e-commerce channel, DSW.com, furthering the implementation of comprehensive marketing strategies that enhance DSW's brand awareness, drive customer engagement and ensure consistent brand messaging. Crockett will report to DSW President Laura Denk.

"I am thrilled to be joining the team at DSW at a vital time for the footwear industry and the consumer," said Crockett. "The enthusiasm in the business has led to a spark of transformation, of which I'm eager to contribute towards through my vision and passion in elevating our brands to new heights and inspire change in the world of footwear. Innovation and creativity have been at the core of DSW since day one, and I am joining a team that has an unwavering determination and shared commitment towards creating the future, together." 

Crockett joins a powerful leadership team led by Designer Brands CEO Doug Howe. She will be influential in promoting Designer Brands' Step Ahead Plan to advance the company's strategic priorities of putting customers first, while being product obsessed and transformation-focused.

"Sarah brings a wealth of experience as Chief Marketing Officer and has a proven track record of driving innovative marketing strategies that resonate with customers," said Denk. "Her leadership and vision will be instrumental in advancing DSW's presence and narrative, connecting with our customers in meaningful ways. With Sarah's efforts, we look forward to enhancing our customer engagement and further solidifying DSW's position as a leader in the footwear industry."

Crockett brings to the Company an extensive background in global full-funnel marketing and a comprehensive knowledge of brand strategy development, along with considerable experience in multi-channel and consumer-centric marketing. She most recently served as Global Chief Marketing Officer at Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. ("NSP") where she oversaw global product development, research and development, and category positioning in addition to leadership for their two banner brands, Nature's Sunshine and Synergy Worldwide. Prior to that, she was Global Chief Marketing Officer for Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. ("Dickies") and subsequently held the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Backcountry.com LLC ("Backcountry") and Burton Snowboards ("Burton"). She also has held leadership positions at other specialty retail brands including Lucky Brand, Vans and REI.

Crockett currently sits on the Board of Directors for Rumpl, a sustainable and versatile outdoor blanket brand, and Stance, a sock, underwear and t-shirt brand embracing the positive message of individuality and fresh artistic design. She is a graduate of California State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing.

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," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "would," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "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 and financial conditions and the related impacts to consumer discretionary spending, as well as our ability to plan for and respond to the impact of these conditions; our ability to anticipate and respond to rapidly changing consumer preferences, seasonality, customer expectations, and fashion trends; our ability to execute on our business strategies, including integrating and growing our Brand Portfolio segment, enhancing in-store and digital shopping experiences, and meeting consumer demands; our ability to protect our reputation and to maintain the brands we license; our ability to successfully integrate new hires in leadership and retain our existing management team, and to continue to attract qualified new personnel; and our competitiveness with respect to style, price, brand availability, shopping platforms, and customer service. 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:

Media: Inspire PR for Designer Brands

Katie Lundy

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SOURCE Designer Brands, Inc.