Footwear retailer Genesco Inc. has announced the upcoming retirement of Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer Parag D. Desai. After more than a decade of guiding the corporate enterprise through strategic expansion and digital modernization, Desai will step down from his role on Oct. 31.
Desai joined the Nashville-based company in 2014 as senior vice president of strategy and shared services. In April 2021, the corporation promoted him to chief strategy and digital officer, placing him at the helm of its technology platforms, consumer data analytics, and digital operations.
During his tenure, Desai helped execute Genesco’s overarching “Footwear First” initiative while driving integration across key retail brands such as Journeys, Johnston & Murphy, and Schuh.Building an executive career in the U.S. corporate sector, Desai brought extensive consulting and leadership experience to the retail group.
Prior to his work at Genesco, he spent 14 years at McKinsey & Company, including seven years as a partner in its global retail and consumer practice across the Americas and Australia. His background also includes business development and technology roles at Outpace Systems and Booz Allen & Hamilton.
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His academic achievements provided the foundation for his executive trajectory in the corporate sector. Desai earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, summa cum laude, from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He later completed his Master of Business Administration as a Tuck Scholar at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Highlighting his contribution to the enterprise, Genesco Board Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer Mimi E. Vaughn noted Desai’s focus on aligning corporate strategy with execution. She credited his leadership with strengthening the company’s omnichannel logistics and digital capabilities over the past decade.
Desai expressed gratitude toward his colleagues and confidence in the organization’s ongoing strategic position. Following his retirement in late October, his existing executive responsibilities will be transitioned to other members of Genesco’s senior leadership team.