Caleres adds media experts Wenda Harris Millard and Brenda Freeman to board

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Apr 12, 2017

Caleres on Tuesday announced the election of MediaLink Vice Chairman Wenda Harris Millard and MagicLeap Chief Marketing Officer Brenda Freeman to its board of directors. 

The executives join the Caleres board months after the company acquired Allen Edmonds from Brentwood Associates for $255 million. With the addition of Millard and Freeman, the Caleres Board of Directors now has more than 50 percent of its seats held by women.

 
“How we best serve our customers has undergone a sea change over the last five years and it continues to rapidly evolve every day,” said Diane Sullivan, CEO, president and chairman of Caleres. “Brenda and Wenda’s expertise around emerging consumer technology and trends will greatly benefit us as we continuously look to newer, faster and more creative ways to reach the customer with the shoes and brands they want-- when, where and how they want them.”
 
Media executive Millard joined strategic advisory firm MediaLink in 2009 as President and COO. The firm counsels Fortune 100 clients around the convergence of media, marketing, advertising, entertainment, and technology.

Prior to joining MediaLink, she served as co-CEO and President of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where she was responsible for the media business, including publishing and broadcasting, and was led the creation of cross-platform TV, magazine and radio programs.

The Trinity College and Harvard University graduate also served on the founding executive team of DoubleClick, was SVP and publisher of Family Circle, and was EVP-group publisher or Adweek, Mediaweek and Brandweek magazines.
 

MagicLeap CMO Freeman is currently responsible for the technology company’s brand and product marketing, including customer relationship management, social, digital, publicity, experiential and influencer marketing.
 
Prior to joining MagicLeap, the University of Maryland graduate was CMO for the National Geographic Channels, where she oversaw brand development, multi-platform creative architecture and consumer communication, and she was also global head of television marketing for Dreamworks, CMO of Cartoon Network, and SVP for Nickelodeon integrated marketing and partnerships at Viacom.
 
Freeman currently serves on the board of Herman Miller and previously sat on the board of Under Armour.