Designer Brands Inc., the parent of DSW, appointed Rich Paul and Tami J. Fersko to its Board of Directors on November 17 as independent directors.
Fersko was also named a member of both the company’s Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board now has eleven members, eight of whom are independent.
“As Designer Brands continues the next phase of its growth, I am thrilled to have Rich and Tami join our Board,” said Jay Schottenstein, chairman of the board. “Both bring extensive brand-building expertise and knowledge of the footwear industry to the table, competencies that will help us on our path to doubling sales of our Owned Brands. Rich’s place at the epicenter of culture as well as his vast knowledge of the sports industry will complement our athletic and athleisure strategy while helping to continue attracting new and different consumers to Designer Brands. Additionally, Tami’s broad background in supply chain and operations will reinforce our efforts to be nimble and agile as we seek to consistently provide the best brands in footwear.”
“I am excited that Designer Brands is adding Rich and Tami’s expertise to our Board,” said Roger Rawlins, CEO, Designer Brands. “They bring a wealth of experience in areas directly applicable to our brand-building journey and I look forward to working with them as we move this vision forward.”
Rich Paul is the CEO and founder of KlutchSports Group headquartered in Cleveland, OH. He also serves as United Talent Agency’s (UTA) head of sports and is an agency partner. He was also appointed to UTA’s Board of Directors in 2020. Paul is also credited with driving the reversal of the “Rich Paul Rule,” which would have banned agents without a college degree from representing NC a creative agency focused on sport, wellness, nutrition, tech, and other consumer-facing products. Paul joined the Board of Trustees of LACMA and the Board of Directors of Funko in 2022. Paul is also a minority partner of The SpringHill Company.
Tami J. Fersko is the chief operations and supply chain officer for Centric Brands. Previously, she was the president of LF Americas, a division of Li & Fung Limited, a Hong Kong-based global supply chain corporation servicing department stores, mass, club, and off-price channels. Before Li & Fung, Fersko was the executive vice president, Finance and Operations of The Jones Group.
