Brown Shoe Company Announces Senior Management Promotions:
Sullivan Named COO, Rosen Named EVP, and Oberlander Promoted to SVP
ST. LOUIS, March 30, 2006 — Brown Shoe Company, Inc. (NYSE: BWS, www.brownshoe.com) today announced the following promotions within its senior management team: Brown Shoe President Diane M. Sullivan was also named Chief Operating Officer; Andrew M. Rosen has been promoted to Executive Vice President and continues as Chief Financial Officer, and Michael I. Oberlander has been promoted to Senior Vice President, and continues as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. “The leadership and expertise of this team has been instrumental in Brown Shoe’s success in recent years, from large-scale undertakings like the completion of our acquisition of Bennett Footwear last April, to our day-to-day brand building and the shaping of our portfolio,” said Ron Fromm, Brown Shoe’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “As we plan for continued growth in 2006 and beyond, Diane, Andy and Mike will play critical roles in achieving the goals we’ve set for Brown Shoe.”
Diane Sullivan
Ms. Sullivan joined Brown Shoe in December 2003 as its President. In her new role as President and Chief Operating Officer, she also assumes oversight of the Company’s international operations, including worldwide sourcing and Brown Shoe International Sales & Licensing. She continues to oversee the company’s Famous Footwear, Brown Shoe Wholesale, Bennett Wholesale, Shoes.com and Specialty Retail operating divisions.
Ms. Sullivan came to Brown Shoe from Phillips-Van Heusen where she was Vice Chairman of the Footwear Group, based in New York City. Prior to joining Philips-Van Heusen in 2001, Ms. Sullivan was President and Chief Operating Officer for Stride Rite Corporation, where she worked from 1995 until 2001.
Andrew Rosen
Mr. Rosen joined Brown Shoe in 1974, and most recently held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He oversees Brown Shoe’s Corporate Governance and the following departments: Treasury, Accounting and Budgeting, Legal, Risk Management, Strategic Planning, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, Total Rewards and Executive Compensation. Mr. Rosen also serves as a member of the company’s Executive Management, Strategic Planning and Investment committees.
Michael Oberlander
Mr. Oberlander has served as Brown Shoe’s Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since 2000. He oversees and has responsibility for the Legal, Risk Management and Internal Audit Departments. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Oberlander was an associate with Bryan Cave LLP, where he served on a team of attorneys advising Brown Shoe.
Brown Shoe is a $2.3 billion footwear company with global operations. The Company operates the 900+ store Famous Footwear chain, which sells brand name shoes for the family. It also operates 300+ specialty retail stores in the U.S. and Canada under the Naturalizer, FX LaSalle and Via Spiga names, and Shoes.com, the Company’s e-commerce subsidiary. Brown Shoe, through its Wholesale divisions, owns and markets leading footwear brands including Naturalizer, LifeStride, Via Spiga, Nickels Soft, Connie and Buster Brown; it also markets licensed brands including Franco Sarto, Dr. Scholl's, Etienne Aigner, Bass and Carlos by Carlos Santana for adults, and Barbie, Disney and Nickelodeon character footwear for children. Brown Shoe press releases are available on the Company's web site at www.brownshoe.com.