Neiman Marcus Group appoints Paul Brown to the board

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Dec 8, 2020

Neiman Marcus announced on Monday the appointment of Paul Brown to serve as non-executive chair of its board of directors. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Paul Brown to our board of directors,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of Neiman Marcus Group.

“He has deep expertise in brand management and consumer loyalty strategies. His track record of leading transformation and innovation for consumer-driven companies will deliver incredible value for Neiman Marcus Group as we build on our strong foundation and accelerate our strategy to become the preeminent luxury customer platform.”

Brown currently serves as CEO of Inspire Brands, a U.S multi-brand restaurant company, which he co-founded in 2018. The company currently generates more than $14 billion in annual sales, while its portfolio includes more than 11,000 Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In, Rusty Taco, and Jimmy John's locations worldwide. Most recently, it also acquired Dunkin' Brands. 

Prior to Inspire, Brown’s leadership roles spanned 20 years at Hilton, Expedia, McKinsey and Company, as well as Boston Consulting Group. 

"I am honored to join as chair of the Neiman Marcus Group board of directors," said Brown.

"Neiman Marcus Group brands are poised for a strong future, and I'm excited to join the board at this important moment in time as the company sets its sights on being the preeminent luxury customer platform. I'm looking forward to working with the board and leadership team to help realize this vision."

The Dallas, Texas-based department store operator emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, after initially filing in the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic back in May. 

At that time, the company also announced a newly formed board of directors -- more diverse and majority female -- including Pauline Brown, former chairman of North America for LVMH; Pamela Edwards, former chief financial officer of the Mast Global and Victoria's Secret divisions of L Brands; and Kris Miller, former chief strategy officer of Ebay, among others.