Caleres has announced the appointment of Kathleen Welter as its new Chief Human Resources Officer. Welter will take charge of HR operations across the company’s portfolio of brands, managing functions for more than 9,000 Associates worldwide. Her remit includes recruitment, talent management, training, workplace culture, compensation, benefits and compliance with labour regulations.
As part of her new role, Welter will sit on the company’s leadership team and report directly to President and CEO Jay Schmidt. She will be based at the firm’s headquarters in St. Louis.
Doug Koch, who currently holds the position, will stay on for a 30-day handover period before supporting special projects. He is set to retire at the end of the year.
Welter joins Caleres with almost 30 years of experience in human resources. Most recently, she was vice president of HR at Woodard & Curran, where she led executive recruitment, succession planning and reshaped performance, development and pay strategies. She also played a key role in integrating HR functions following acquisitions. Prior to that, she worked as a senior consultant at Talent Equation, helping a wide range of clients with organisational design and team development.
This marks a return to Caleres for Welter, who previously spent ten years at the company, serving as director of talent management and later as vice president of talent strategy and leadership continuity. She holds both an MBA and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri.
About Caleres:
Caleres is a market-leading portfolio of global footwear brands that includes Famous Footwear, Sam Edelman, Stuart Weitzman, Allen Edmonds, Naturalizer, Vionic and more. 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 platforms. Combined, these brands make Caleres a company with both a legacy and a mission. Our legacy is nearly 150 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.
