Douglas M. Howe

Chief Executive Officer and Director at Designer Brands Inc

Board

Since 2023

Age

63 years

Tenure

Joined as a director in 2023 and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Director at DBI, demonstrating ongoing leadership through certified financial filings.

Also at Designer Brands Inc

Andrea O'Donnell

Executive Vice President and President of Camuto LLC

DLF

Deborah L. Ferrée

Vice Chair and Chief Product Officer

JAP

Jared A. Poff

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Administrative Officer

About

Douglas M. Howe is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Director at Designer Brands Inc. and is 63 years old. His leadership at DBI is validated by his role in signing certifications for quarterly and annual financial reports in compliance with regulatory requirements, which highlights his commitment to diligent corporate governance.

While specific personal background and educational details are not available, his professional responsibilities speak to a focus on accountability and regulatory adherence. The documentation confirms that he has been integral to DBI’s operations since joining as a director in 2023, where he has been active in maintaining compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

His tenure at DBI underscores a strong executive presence, marked by the ongoing certification of the company’s filings and the sustained strategic oversight of financial operations. Even though more detailed aspects of his career history or personal life remain undisclosed, his current role and activities at DBI reflect his significant impact on the organization.

$DBI Performance Under Douglas M. Howe

Past Roles

Organization	Role	Date Range	Details
Designer Brands Inc. (DBI)	President of DSW	May 2022 - April 2023	Previous role held before CEO appointment
Kohl's Corporation	Chief Merchandising Officer	2018 - 2022	N/A
Qurate Retail Group	Global Chief Merchandising Officer	2015 - 2018	N/A
Old Navy	Various leadership roles in merchandising, design, product development, and planning	N/A	N/A
Walmart Inc.	Leadership roles in merchandising and planning	N/A	N/A
May Department Stores Company	Leadership positions in merchandising and planning	N/A	N/A

Fixed Compensation

Data from FY 2023

Component Name	Amount	Payment Schedule	Additional Details
Base Salary	$1,200,000	Annual (Fiscal 2023)	Fixed annual salary
401(k) Matching Contributions	$13,445	Based on plan rules	Matching contribution
Life Insurance Premium	$390	Annual (Fiscal 2023)	Premium cost

Performance Compensation

Data from FY 2023

Performance-Based RSUs (March 14, 2023)

Metric [Citation]**	Value
Performance Metric	Adjusted Operating Income
Threshold (50% payout)	$132.7 million
Target (100% payout)	$189.5 million
Maximum (150% payout)	$208.5 million
Actual Performance	$89.9 million (no payout)
Grant Date	March 14, 2023
Grant Date Fair Value	$8.63 per share
Grant Date Stock Price	$8.52 per share
RSUs Granted (Target)	264,085 shares
RSUs Granted (Maximum)	396,128 shares
Vesting Schedule	100% on March 14, 2026

Performance-Based RSUs (March 23, 2023)

Metric [Citation]**	Value
Performance Metric	Adjusted Operating Income
Threshold (50% payout)	$132.7 million
Target (100% payout)	$189.5 million
Maximum (150% payout)	$208.5 million
Actual Performance	$89.9 million (no payout)
Grant Date	March 23, 2023
Grant Date Fair Value	$8.52 per share
Grant Date Stock Price	$8.52 per share
RSUs Granted (Target)	264,085 shares
Vesting Schedule	100% on March 23, 2026

Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards (2023)

Metric [Citation]**	Value
Performance Metric	Adjusted Operating Income
Threshold (50% payout)	$189.5 million
Target (100% payout)	$203.5 million
Maximum (200% payout)	$217 million
Actual Performance	$89.9 million (no payout)
Grant Date	March 14, 2023
Payout Detail	150% of base salary target
Vesting Schedule	One-year performance period (Fiscal 2023)
Award Type	Cash-based; no share details