Designer Brands Taps Sheamus Toal as New CFO

Herbert Mines Associates assists in recruiting executive with deep financial and operational experience

Feb. 24, 2026 at 10:03am

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New York-based executive search firm Herbert Mines Associates has assisted Designer Brands Inc. in the recruitment of Sheamus Toal as the company's new executive vice president, chief financial officer and principal financial officer. Toal brings decades of leadership experience in CFO and COO roles at large, complex public and private companies.

Why it matters

As Designer Brands continues to execute on its strategic initiatives and drive long-term value, Toal's financial expertise and operational leadership will be crucial in navigating the company's complex business and strengthening its financial and operational capabilities.

The details

Toal most recently served as COO and CFO of The Children's Place, where he strengthened liquidity, optimized a digitally-driven business model, and delivered significant cost savings and earnings improvement. Prior to that, he was EVP and CFO of Saatva.com, where he drove notable growth in topline revenue, improved profitability, led public-company readiness efforts, and executed major financing transactions. Earlier, he spent over a decade in senior leadership roles at the multi-brand publicly traded retailer New York & Company, including 12 years as CEO.

  • Designer Brands Inc. announced the appointment of Sheamus Toal as CFO on February 24, 2026.

The players

Sheamus Toal

The new executive vice president, chief financial officer and principal financial officer of Designer Brands Inc., bringing deep financial and operational experience from leadership roles at large, complex public and private companies.

Doug Howe

The CEO of Designer Brands Inc., who expressed confidence that Toal's experience will be invaluable as the company continues to execute on its strategic initiatives and drive long-term value.

Herbert Mines Associates

The New York-based executive search firm that assisted Designer Brands in the recruitment of Sheamus Toal as the company's new CFO.

Designer Brands Inc.

A publicly traded footwear and accessories designer, producer, and retailer headquartered in Columbus, OH, operating across the U.S. and Canada, with well-known brands such as DSW, Vince Camuto, Keds, and Hush Puppies.

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What they’re saying

“Sheamus brings an exceptional blend of financial expertise and operational leadership, with a strong track record of navigating complexity and building resilient, high-performing organizations. I am confident his experience working closely with management teams, boards, and the investor community will be invaluable as we continue to execute on our strategic initiatives and drive long-term value for our stakeholders.”

— Doug Howe, CEO

“I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to join Designer Brands and work alongside such a talented leadership team during an incredibly exciting and transformative period. I look forward to partnering closely across the organization to build on the strong foundation already in place, strengthen our financial and operational capabilities, and support the company's long-term growth strategy.”

— Sheamus Toal

The takeaway

Toal's appointment as CFO of Designer Brands highlights the importance of recruiting seasoned financial and operational leaders to guide complex, publicly traded retail companies through transformative periods and drive long-term value for stakeholders.