Designer Brands, Inc. has hired Sheamus Toal, most recently at The Children’s Place, as EVP, CFO and principal financial officer, effective February 16, 2026.
Mark Haley, who has served as interim principal financial officer during a transition period, will return full-time to his role as SVP, controller and principal accounting officer at the company.
Last October, Jared Poff, who had been Designer Brands’ CFO for nearly 11 years, announced he was stepping down to pursue a new professional opportunity. In November, it was reported that he had accepted the CFO position at Family Dollar.
Most recently, Toal served as COO and CFO of The Children’s Place, overseeing finance and end-to-end operations for the multi-brand public retailer. Previously, Toal served as EVP and CFO of Saatva.com, where he drove topline revenue growth, improved profitability, led public-company readiness efforts, and executed major financing transactions. Earlier in his career, Toal spent over a decade in senior leadership roles at the multi-brand publicly traded retailer New York & Company, including 12 years as CFO, and then later served as CEO.
“Sheamus brings an exceptional blend of financial expertise and operational leadership, with a strong track record of navigating complexity and building resilient, high-performing organizations,” said Doug Howe, Designer Brands’ CEO. “I am confident his experience working closely with management teams, boards, and the investor community will be invaluable as we continue to execute on our strategic initiatives and drive long-term value for our stakeholders.”
Designer Brands’ retail network includes over 670 DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, The Shoe Co., and Rubino stores in North America. Its wholesale footwear segment includes Topo Athletic, Keds, Vince Camuto, Kelly & Katie, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand, Mix No. 6, Crown Vintage, and others.
Image courtesy Designer Brands/Sheamus Toal
