Designer Brands names Laura Denk as President of Designer Shoe Warehouse
Designer Brands Inc. (Designer Brands), one of the world's designers, producers, and retailers of footwear and accessories, announced that Laura Denk has been named President of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) and Executive Vice President of Designer Brands, with her appointment effective July 24, 2023.
As President of DSW, Denk will be responsible for leading DSW's nearly 500 U.S. store locations and e-commerce channel, DSW.com, furthering the Company's ongoing strategy of delivering compelling brands and exceptional experiences across all customer touchpoints. Her responsibilities will include day-to-day leadership of DSW, in addition to helping to further elevate Designer Brands' Owned Brands and top National Brands within the retailer's differentiated customer offering. Denk will report directly to Designer Brands' Chief Executive Officer, Doug Howe.
"I am thrilled to be joining DSW at such an exciting time in DSW's journey to becoming a brand builder, while leveraging its strong footprint of stores and omni-channel platform," said Denk. "The opportunity to partner with the DSW team to transform and reimagine the customer experience, especially by shining a light on Designer Brands' unique Owned Brands within DSW will help us build value for our customers and our shareholders. I am continually impressed by the breadth of assortment and must-have brands, coupled with a convenient and easy shopping experience, and I look forward to jumping right into the business."
Howe said, "I am confident in Laura's ability to lead the DSW organization forward in ways that will further elevate and grow the profile of our Owned Brands, while ensuring we maintain our critical, core relationships with our top National Brands within our retail footprint. Our 30 million loyalty customers can expect an exciting future ahead for DSW, with Laura's expertise driving us to the next phase of growth, while maintaining our position as a leader in the footwear space."
Denk brings to the Company an extensive background in merchandising and an affinity for building strong vendor partnerships, along with significant experience in augmenting customer experiences and elevating private brands. She most recently served as Chief Merchandising Officer and Executive Vice President at Michaels Stores, Inc. ("Michaels"). Prior to that, she was Michaels' General Merchandise Manager. She has also held leadership positions at Claire's Stores, Inc. and Macy's, Inc. Denk is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington, with a Bachelor's Degree from the Kelley School of Business.
