Designer Brands appoints new president of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse

Footwear retailer Designer Brands has announced the appointment of Doug Howe to president of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, one of its retail concepts, as well as to the role of executive vice president of Designer Brands.

At DSW, Howe will be responsible for day-to-day leadership of the company, overseeing its direct-to-consumer channels while reporting directly to the group CEO, Roger Rawlins.

Howe brings over 30 years of retail experience to the positions, most recently serving as chief merchandising officer at Kohl’s. He has also held leadership roles across merchandising, design, product development and planning at the likes of Old Navy, Walmark and May Department Stores.

“Designer Brands and DSW are hyper-focused on maintaining our edge across the competitive landscape,” said Rawlins, in a release.

He continued: “I have the highest confidence in Doug's leadership to guide us in our stores and e-commerce operations to benefit our owned brands, while focusing on the athletic and fashion brands that our 28 million loyal customers love. DSW has a bright future ahead with Doug's proven retail experience helping advance our business priorities of customers, brands and speed."