Payless ShoeSource Announces Promotion of Vincent DeSantis to Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

TOPEKA, Kan., Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Payless ShoeSource announced today that Vincent DeSantis has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Payless, reporting to LuAnn Via, Chief Executive Officer of Payless.

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In his role DeSantis is responsible for all marketing and branding initiatives for the retailer, which is on a mission to democratize fashion, design and the latest ideas in footwear and accessories around the world.  He also oversees the development and growth of Payless' strong brand portfolio that includes well-recognized names such as Airwalk®, Champion®, Dexter®, American Eagle for Payless, Above the Rim as well as its designer labels Christian Siriano for Payless, Isabel Toledo for Payless and Lela Rose for Payless, among others.

DeSantis leads the global marketing strategy and execution for Payless and its House of Brands. He is responsible for Payless' brand-building strategies including creative development, advertising, consumer insights, customer relationship management, digital, mobile and social media initiatives, multicultural marketing and public relations.

"Vincent's leadership and strategic insights over the past three years – particularly as we have developed best-in-class customer insights and successfully moved into new marketing channels such as mobile commerce and social media – have demonstrated that it's time to expand his leadership role to help take Payless to the next level," said Via.  "We are thrilled to have him serve in this new role and look forward to his valuable contributions as we continue to forge strong emotional connections and build effective brand and marketing programs that connect Payless with customers around the world."

DeSantis joined Payless in 2008 where he served first as Vice President, Consumer and Brand Marketing and was later promoted to Divisional Senior Vice President, Marketing.  Prior to Payless, he was with Sprint Nextel where he served in a variety of consumer marketing roles in wireless acquisition, database, loyalty and retail marketing.  He started his marketing career in consumer packaged goods brand management at General Mills.  DeSantis earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Michigan and a master's degree from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.

About Payless & Collective Brands, Inc.

Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., is the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories and inspiring fun, fashion possibilities for the family at a great value.  As of the end of third  quarter 2010, the company operated nearly 4,500 stores. In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com(R) at www.payless.com.

Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its nearly 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk(R), Dexter(R), Champion(R), Zoe & Zac(TM), the first-ever affordable green footwear brand, and designer collections Lela Rose for Payless, Unforgettable Moments by Lela Rose, Christian Siriano for Payless, Isabel Toledo for Payless and STPL x Airwalk, among others; Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, focused on lifestyle and performance branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite(R), Keds(R), Sperry Top-Sider(R), Robeez(R), and Saucony(R), among others; and Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk(R), Above The Rim, Vision Street Wear(R), STRIKEFORCE(TM), Clinch Gear(TM), Sims(R), Lamar(R) and LTD(R), World Snowboarding Championships(TM) and Hind(R). Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource