DSW has turned to an insider for its next CEO, promoting EVP and Chief Innovation Officer Roger Rawlins to succeed Michael MacDonald, who is retiring. Rawlins, who also will join the DSW Board of Directors, assumes his new post on January 1, 2016.
Prior to his current role Rawlins held several positions at DSW, including EVP, Omni Channel; SVP and General Manager of DSW.com; and VP, Finance and Controller. Before joining DSW in 2006, he held leadership positions at HER Real Living and L Brands Inc.
“As part of our succession planning process, we are pleased to name an executive of Roger’s caliber to be our next CEO,” said DSW Board of Directors Chairman Jay Schottenstein in a statement. “Over the past three years we have made significant strides in our evolution to a more customer-centric company, and today we have a strong platform in place. Notwithstanding the challenging retail environment, I am confident we have the right plan — and that Roger is the right leader — to continue executing our strategy to meet our customers’ needs and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”
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DSW also released preliminary Q3 financial results, reporting revenues of approximately $665 million and comp store sales declining by 3.9%. According to a company statement, these weaker than expected results reflect the general slowing of U.S. retail traffic and weak sales within DSW’s women’s footwear category, due in part to unseasonably warm temperatures during the quarter.
