Designer Brands, Inc. named Laura Denk, president of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse and EVP of Designer Brands, effective July 24.
As DSW’s president, Denk will lead DSW’s nearly 500 U.S. store locations, e-commerce channel and DSW.com. Her responsibilities will include leadership, elevating Designer Brands’ owned and top national brands within its offerings. Denk will report to Designer Brands’ CEO, 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 omnichannel 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 loyal 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 the company an extensive background in merchandising, building strong vendor partnerships, and significant experience in augmenting customer experiences and elevating private brands. She most recently was the chief merchandising officer and EVP at Michaels Stores, Inc. Before that, Denk was Michaels’ general merchandise manager. She has also held leadership positions at Claire’s Stores, Inc. and Macy’s, Inc.
Photos courtesy DSW
