PITTSBURGH — (BUSINESS WIRE) — American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today announced the appointment of Steven A. Davis to the company’s board of directors as an independent director, effective October 1, 2020. This appointment expands the company’s board to nine directors, including eight independents and builds on the board’s expertise and diversity.
Steven is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bob Evans Farms, bringing more than 30 years of experience leading iconic consumer brands. He previously served in a variety of executive and management roles with YUM! Brands and Kraft General Foods, where he led the successful launch of new products and marketing campaigns for longstanding American brands. Steven’s background provides significant capabilities across marketing and branding, strategy, finance and corporate development.
“Steven’s deep consumer knowledge, marketing expertise, and track record of scaling growth brands complements our strategic priorities and will be a tremendous asset as we accelerate AEO’s growth initiatives. His passion for building strong communities and cultures through diversity of people and his commitment to giving back perfectly align with our corporate values. I am thrilled Steven is joining our board and look forward to benefitting from his wealth of experience and unique perspective,” said Jay Schottenstein, Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
Steven serves on numerous community and professional organizations and sits on several corporate boards, including PPG Industries, Albertsons Companies and Marathon Petroleum Corporation. He previously served on the Boards of Centurylink, Walgreens Boots Alliance and the Sonic Corporation. Steven is active in the nonprofit sector and currently serves on the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He previously served on the board of directors of JobsOhio, Ohio’s private nonprofit corporation leading job creation and economic development. Additionally, Steven served on the James Cancer Hospital Foundation Board at The Ohio State University. In 2014, he received The Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Over the course of his career, Steven has been a leader and strong advocate for lnclusivity and Diversity. In 2014, he was the recipient of the Pioneer of Diversity award in partnership with the Columbus Ohio NAACP branch. Under his leadership, Bob Evans Farms was recognized consistently by the 2020 Women on Boards Organization for achieving 20% female representation on its board of directors.
Each year, from 2005 to 2015, Black Enterprise Magazine named Davis as one of the 75 Most Powerful Black Men in American Business. Steven holds a Master of Business Administration in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
For more information about AEO’s board of directors, please visit www.aeo-inc.com.