ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2024-- Caleres (NYSE: CAL) today announced the election of two new members to its board of directors, increasing its board size to twelve.

Kyle Gendreau is currently chief executive officer and executive director of Samsonite International S.A., a leader in the global lifestyle bag industry and the world's largest travel luggage company. Under his leadership, Samsonite has driven growth through consumer-centric channel diversification, global expansion, and by acquiring and investing in a portfolio of brands. He has championed the company’s sustainability initiatives and diversified its sourcing base. Prior to his appointment as CEO in 2018, he served as the company’s chief financial officer where he was instrumental in implementation of the company’s strategic plan, the integration of the Tumi acquisition, and the Hong Kong IPO listing.

Previously, Gendreau held various leadership roles in finance and accounting at Zoots Corporation, Specialty Catalog Corporation, and Coopers & Lybrand. Gendreau holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stonehill College and is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.

Molly Langenstein is a high-level strategist and retail industry veteran with an exceptional record of revitalizing sales and improving profitability. Most recently, Langenstein served as the chief executive officer and president and a member of the board of directors of Chico’s FAS, until Chico’s was acquired in January 2024. During her time at Chicos, she returned the company to growth and profitability with a customer led, product focused, and digital first strategy focused on operational excellence.

Before joining Chico’s, Langenstein spent nearly three decades at Macy’s, Inc. (and predecessor companies), where she held numerous executive positions in ready to wear and private brand at Macy’s and Bloomingdales. Langenstein received her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising from Kent State University. She serves on the board of Upbound Group, an omni-channel consumer financing company.

“Kyle and Molly’s critical expertise will further round out the capabilities on our board,” said Diane Sullivan, executive chairman of Caleres. “Kyle brings global brand building and portfolio management expertise, M&A experience and significant financial acumen. Molly is a strategic leader with deep fashion brand and omnichannel understanding as well as a background in organizational optimization. Their combined operating experience and knowledge of the public company CEO role are of great value as we pursue our growth plans and focus on delivering shareholder value.”

Five consecutive times Caleres has been honored by the Women’s Forum of New York for achieving gender parity on its board. Caleres was applauded as a Corporate Champion that is making special efforts to advance women in the boardroom. Most recently, Caleres was one of 78 companies recognized as a Corporate Champion out of the 233 companies in attendance to have achieved or exceeded gender parity on its board. Today Caleres has 50% representation of women on its board.

About Caleres

Caleres is a market-leading portfolio of global footwear brands that includes Famous Footwear, Sam Edelman, Allen Edmonds, Naturalizer and Vionic. Our products are available virtually everywhere - in the nearly 1,000 retail stores we operate, in hundreds of major department and specialty stores, on our branded e-commerce sites, and on many additional third-party retail websites. Combined, these brands make Caleres a company with both a legacy and a mission. Our legacy is our more than 140 years of craftsmanship and our passion for fit, while our mission is to continue to inspire people to feel great… feet first. Visit caleres.com to learn more about us.

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Media:
Kelly Malone
kmalone@caleres.com

Investors:
Liz Dunn
ldunn@caleres.com

Source: Caleres