Parag Desai, Genesco Strategy Chief, to Retire on Oct. 31

No successor has been named. The company plans to transition his duties to existing senior managers before his departure date. The decision follows a series of changes to Genesco's senior leadership team in recent months, the company said without providing specifics.

Genesco's business rests on three main retail chains. It owns Schuh, a UK footwear retailer. Its U.S. brands include Journeys and Johnston & Murphy. The mix gives the company exposure to teen fashion and higher-end men's dress shoes, two segments that have faced different pressures from e-commerce and changing consumer habits.

The "Footwear First" strategy, which Vaughn has emphasized in recent years, focuses on Genesco's owned brands rather than licensed products. Desai played a central role in aligning the company's technology infrastructure with that shift, upgrading the e-commerce and data systems that support the retail brands. Executing that strategy now falls to a group of senior leaders rather than a single executive.

Desai's retirement date, Oct. 31, falls after the back-to-school season and before the holiday shopping period. The timing gives the company roughly six months to redistribute his duties and ensure continuity on ongoing digital projects.

Genesco shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GCO.