Designer Brands Inc. Appoints Deckers Vet as Brands President and EVP

Designer Brands, Inc. named Andrea O’Donnell as brands president and executive vice president of Designer Brands, effective January 29, 2024.

As Brands President, O’Donnell will be globally responsible for Designer Brands’ suite of owned and licensed brands, including Keds, Vince Camuto, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Le Tigre, Lucky Brand, Jessica Simpson, Kelly & Katie, Crown Vintage, Mix No. 6, and others. She will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s brand portfolio, from design and sourcing to wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales.

O’Donnell will report to Designer Brands CEO Doug Howe.

“Joining Designer Brands at this stage of their brand-building journey is such a unique and exciting opportunity for me,” said O’Donnell. “Designer Brands has long been a power player in the footwear industry and has now thoughtfully built a diverse and complementary brand portfolio to meet diverse and ever-changing consumer preferences. I am thrilled to begin working with the entire Designer Brands team to continue to build our trend-right and growing brand portfolio.”

Howe said, “With Andrea’s appointment as Brands President, we are bringing into our organization a distinctive and crucial skillset that we believe will enable us to accelerate our roadmap as we continue growing as a brand builder. Her deep experience and tremendous track record, which includes the revitalization of the powerhouse brand, Ugg, will be a critical asset for us moving forward. The passion for design and storytelling she brings to the table will further bolster our strategy of delivering a unique, omni-channel customer experience.”

O’Donnell brings an extensive background in merchandising, brand marketing and commercial planning. She joins Designer Brands from Everlane, a fashion retailer, where she has been the CEO since 2021. Before Everlane, O’Donnell led the expansion of Ugg and Koolaburra brands at Deckers as president of fashion lifestyle. During her tenure, Ugg reportedly expanded annual revenue by $500 million to over $2 billion. Before Deckers, O’Donnell was president, global merchandising at DFS Group, majority-owned by LVMH. Earlier, she was the executive director of Lane Crawford, responsible for merchandising, merchandise planning, marketing, CRM, and store planning for the Asia Pacific region across a portfolio of 500 brands. O’Donnell has also held various posts at John Lewis, Hackett London, Jaeger, and Debenhams.

O’Donnell sits on the Board of Directors for Fashionphile. She holds an MBA from the London Business School and a bachelor’s degree from the London School of Economics.

Images courtesy Designer Brands, Inc.