Designer Brands Inc. , one of the world’s largest designers, producers and retailers of the most recognizable footwear and accessories, appoints Rich Paul to its Board of Directors.
“As Designer Brands continues the next phase of its growth, I am thrilled to have Rich join our Board,” said Jay Schottenstein, Chairman of the Board. Rich’s place at the epicenter of culture as well as his vast knowledge of the sports industry will complement our athletic and athleisure strategy, while helping to continue attracting new and different consumers to Designer Brands. ”
“I am excited that Designer Brands is adding Rich’s expertise to our Board,” said Roger Rawlins, Chief Executive Officer of Designer Brands. “He bring a wealth of experience in areas directly applicable to our brand building journey and I look forward to working with him as we move this vision forward.”
Rich Paul is the CEO and founder of KLUTCH Sports Group, the powerhouse agency representing some of the biggest athletes across major professional sports. Paul founded KLUTCH Sports in 2012 in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where he forged a unique and personal approach to representing top NBA talent – putting athletes first and empowering them to build careers and brands on and off the court. Paul also serves as United Talent Agency’s (UTA’s) Head of Sports and is an agency partner, and was appointed to UTA’s Board of Directors in 2020.
In 2019, Paul was named GQ’s “PowerBroker of the Year” and “The King Maker” on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 2021, TIME recognized KLUTCH Sports on its first-ever list of TIME100 Most Influential Companies, and Variety recently named Paul to their “Variety500” list of the most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry. Paul is also credited with driving the reversal of the so-called “Rich Paul Rule,” which would have banned agents without a college degree from representing NCAA student athletes.
In 2021, Paul and three former Nike executives formed a company called ADOPT, a creative agency focused on sport, wellness, nutrition, tech and other consumer facing products. Paul joined the Board of Trustees of LACMA and the Board of Directors of Funko in 2022. Paul is also a minority partner of The SpringHill Company.
