NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesco Inc.
(NYSE: GCO) announced today that Mimi E.
Vaughn, 54, the Company's president and chief executive
officer, has been named to the additional position of chair of the
board of directors, effective July 1,
2020. Vaughn will succeed Robert J.
Dennis, 66, implementing the final step of a transition plan
that began in 2018.
Dennis served as Genesco president and chief executive officer
from 2008 to 2020 and most recently as executive chairman. He
will retire from the board effective June
30, 2020, after serving as chairman for the past 10
years.
"Bob Dennis has led Genesco in
some of its most exciting periods of growth and has navigated the
Company through several important events in our history. I
would like to thank him for his 15 years of dedication and
leadership with the Company and celebrate his lasting legacy as one
of Genesco's most visionary leaders," said Vaughn. "I look forward
to working with our board, our management team and our tremendously
talented employees to build on the Company's strong foundation and
continue to execute our strategic vision to increase shareholder
value as a leading footwear-focused company."
Dennis added, "Mimi's strategic insight into our businesses will
serve our board in an impactful way. She is a dynamic leader
as demonstrated through her successive roles at Genesco, including
most recently as president and chief executive officer. Over the
past several months with the COVID-19 pandemic disruption, she has
done an exceptional job leading the Company during extraordinary
times. I have tremendous confidence that the future of Genesco is
in excellent hands."
Matthew C. Diamond, 51, a veteran
of Genesco's board, and former chief executive officer of Alloy
Media and Alloy, Inc., will continue to serve as the Company's lead
independent director.
In October 2019, Vaughn was
elected to Genesco's board of directors and named president and
chief executive officer, effective on February 1, 2020. She joined Genesco as
vice president – strategy and business development in 2003, was
promoted to senior vice president – strategy and business
development in 2006, and was named senior vice president – strategy
and shared services in 2009. Vaughn became chief financial
officer in 2015, and was named Genesco's chief operating officer in
January 2018. She formally assumed the role in May 2019 following the appointment of
Mel Tucker as chief financial
officer.
Prior to joining the Company, Vaughn was executive vice
president of business development and marketing, and acting chief
financial officer for Link2Gov Corporation in Nashville. From
1993 to 1999, she was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, based
in Atlanta. During her tenure at McKinsey, Vaughn advised
senior executives and board members, specializing in the consumer
and retail sectors. Before joining McKinsey, Vaughn held
corporate finance positions at Goldman Sachs & Co., Wasserstein
Perella & Co., and Drexel Burnham
Lambert. Vaughn received a bachelor of science degree
in foreign service and international economics from Georgetown University magna cum laude and earned a
master of business administration degree from Harvard Business School, where she graduated with
distinction.
About Genesco Inc.
Genesco Inc., a Nashville-based specialty retailer, sells
footwear and accessories in more than 1,475 retail stores
throughout the U.S., Canada, the
United Kingdom and the
Republic of Ireland, principally
under the names Journeys, Journeys Kidz, Schuh, Schuh Kids, Little
Burgundy, Johnston & Murphy, and on internet websites
www.journeys.com, www.journeyskidz.com, www.journeys.ca,
www.littleburgundyshoes.com, www.schuh.co.uk,
www.johnstonmurphy.com, www.johnstonmurphy.ca, www.trask.com,
and www.dockersshoes.com. In addition, Genesco sells
wholesale footwear under its Johnston & Murphy brand, the Trask
brand, the licensed Dockers brand, the licensed Levi's brand, the
licensed Bass brand, and other brands. For more information on
Genesco and its operating divisions, please visit
www.genesco.com.
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SOURCE Genesco Inc.