Doug Bergeron Announces Independent Search for CEO of Ethan Allen

September 10, 2026  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

Mr. Bergeron and his nominees to the Ethan Allen Board of Directors (the “Board”) at the 2026 Annual Meeting are committed to hitting the ground running if elected. To that end, they have selected a leading global executive search firm for the CEO search, a process they have initiated independently given the Board’s apparent unwillingness to address the need for a CEO succession. On August 7, 2026, the Company filed documentation with the SEC containing statements from its Chairman and CEO stating that the issue of succession has never been raised: “I’m a mountain climber. I’m a sports person. I have a boat; I have a farm. So yes, the fact is, if I believe that I don’t have the energy or the ability or the mind to run a business, then I should not be doing it. Our board, everybody else, has never raised this issue.”

Kristine Miller, one of Mr. Bergeron's nominees to the Board, will lead the search process, supported by fellow nominees Anna Brockway, Steve Oblak, Stefanie Tsen Ward, and Mr. Bergeron. Ms. Miller previously served as Chief Strategy Officer of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) and spent 24 years at Bain & Company, including as Head of the North America retail practice. She is an experienced public company director, and she and Mr. Bergeron bring extensive experience identifying, evaluating, and overseeing senior executives. Ms. Miller commented, “Ethan Allen is a unique heritage brand with strong assets, and I am excited to work with my fellow director nominees to identify a leader with the strategic vision and operating experience to unlock its full potential.”

The nominees’ work to date includes:

- Establishing a CEO success profile centered on proven operating leadership, relevant experience in modern omnichannel retail and branded consumer businesses, and a demonstrated record of driving profitable growth and shareholder returns;

- Defining the executive archetypes best equipped to revitalize Ethan Allen's brand, customer experience and digital capabilities, while preserving the craftsmanship and manufacturing excellence that define the Company; and

- Identifying high-caliber CEO candidates, prioritizing proven leaders with experience driving profitable growth, modernizing brands and customer experiences, building high-performing organizations, and successfully navigating transformation in retail and consumer businesses.

Mr. Bergeron commented, “Ethan Allen has all the ingredients needed to compete and win in the home furnishings industry. What it has lacked is leadership capable of putting its considerable assets to work. We are approaching the CEO search with the rigor it deserves, and we are very encouraged by both the caliber of potential candidates identified to date and the substantial unsolicited inbound interest we have received from accomplished executives who see the same opportunity for the Company that we do. Shareholders have waited far too long for results and accountability under the 38-year tenure of entrenched Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari, and we are pleased to begin the process to deliver them.

“This is an exciting time for the future of Ethan Allen and for its customers, employees and shareholders.”

For more information on Mr. Bergeron’s campaign, including the case for change and nominee biographies, shareholders are encouraged to visit www.EthanAllenGrowth.com.