Caleres announces Kathleen Welter as new HR head

Caleres has announced that Kathleen Welter has been appointed as the company's new chief human resources officer. Welter will be responsible for all human resources functions for the company's brands and its over 9,000 employees globally.

Her duties will include recruitment, talent management, training, compensation, benefits, and labor law compliance. She will report to president and CEO Jay Schmidt and will be a member of the company's leadership team.

Welter brings nearly 30 years of human resources experience to the role. Most recently, she served as the principal lead for the HR team at Woodard & Curran as vice president of human resources. Her past experience also includes working as a senior consultant at Talent Equation.

This appointment marks a return to Caleres for Welter, where she previously worked for a decade in roles including director of talent management and vice president of talent strategy.

Welter will succeed Doug Koch, the current chief human resources officer, who will assist with a 30-day transition period before supporting special projects until his retirement at the end of the year.