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From Home Furnishing Business
Ethan Allen Shareholder Doug Bergeron Files Proxy Statement with SEC
September 7,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
Doug Bergeron, a significant shareholder of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. with beneficial ownership, collectively with his affiliates and associates, of 5.2% of Ethan Allen’s outstanding common stock, today filed a preliminary proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with his nomination of five highly qualified and experienced candidates for election to Ethan Allen's Board of Directors (the “Board”) at the Company's 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
In the preliminary proxy statement, Mr. Bergeron describes:
- Ethan Allen’s declining revenue, lost market share, languishing share price performance and diminished investor confidence under the leadership of its Chairman, President and CEO, Farooq Kathwari;
- A Board that has failed to hold management accountable or oversee the strategic and leadership changes the Company urgently needs; and
- Why his alternative slate of director candidates, including Mr. Bergeron, Anna Brockway, Kristine Miller, Steve Oblak and Stefanie Tsen Ward, are best positioned to restore growth and shareholder value.
Mr. Bergeron commented, “Ethan Allen is an iconic American business with a strong brand and product portfolio, yet the Company has significantly underperformed its luxury peers and the broader market for nearly two decades. While it would be easy to attribute this underperformance to structural industry challenges or cyclical headwinds, we believe a series of strategic missteps, ineffective execution and weak governance practices under the current Board and its long-tenured Chairman, President and CEO, Farooq Kathwari, are to blame.
“With revenue cut nearly in half since 2006, the Company’s substantial fixed cost infrastructure will soon become untenable – eroding margins and leading to reduced, and eventually, no, profitability. This downward spiral will only accelerate if the Board continues to rashly issue special dividends that deplete the Company’s excess cash rather than investing these funds behind business reinvention, including the digital tools and omnichannel capabilities that furniture retailers need to compete in today’s day and age. Without a new, brand-focused strategy, disciplined capital allocation and materially improved execution across digital marketing and retail, Ethan Allen will continue to shrink, and shareholders will pay the price.
“I invested significant personal capital because I believe, with the right Board, this Company can deliver profitable growth and long-term shareholder value. The nominees we have put forth are proven operators who know how to build modern, omnichannel retail businesses and hold leadership accountable when results do not follow the rhetoric. We look forward to engaging with our fellow shareholders in the coming weeks and are committed to earning your vote for the change this Company desperately needs."
The preliminary proxy statement is available free of charge on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
For more information on Mr. Bergeron’s campaign, including the case for change and nominee biographies, shareholders are encouraged to visit www.EthanAllenGrowth.com.