Genesco Inc. shareholders have voted to re-elect all nine of the company’s director nominees to its Board of Directors at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The re-election, based on preliminary voting results, signals shareholder confidence in the company's Footwear First strategy and its management team. Genesco is advancing four strategic growth drivers: curating and creating winning product, elevating distinctive brands, creating exceptional customer experiences, and building amazing teams.

The nine directors re-elected are Gregory Sandfort, Mimi Vaughn, Joanna Barsh, Matt Bilunas, Carolyn Bojanowski, John Lambros, Thurgood Marshall, Jr., Angel Martinez, and Mary Meixelsperger. The company stated that the strong support reflects confidence in its path forward to create shareholder value and capitalize on opportunities for its brands.

Board Composition

The following table lists the nine directors re-elected to the Board of Directors:

Strategic Focus

Genesco operates as a footwear-first company with distinctively positioned retail and lifestyle brands, including Journeys, Little Burgundy, Schuh, Johnston & Murphy, and Genesco Brands Group. The company serves customers through more than 1,200 retail stores and branded e-commerce websites in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Its strategy focuses on leveraging omnichannel capabilities to offer engaging shopping environments.

The preliminary voting results are subject to certification by an independent inspector of elections. Genesco will report the final voting results in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), Glass Lewis & Co., and Egan-Jones Proxy Services have recommended that Genesco Inc. shareholders vote "FOR" all nine of the company’s directors on the WHITE proxy card at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for July 21, 2026. The advisory firms concluded that the dissident Radoff-Jumana Group has not made a compelling case for change, citing Genesco's peer-beating total shareholder return (TSR) and steady operating performance improvements. The firms explicitly recommended shareholders withhold votes from the dissidents' nominees, Westervelt T. Ballard, Jr. and Paula J. Poskon.

Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones echoed ISS's findings in their July 9, 2026 reports. Glass Lewis noted that Genesco has charted a reasonably favorable course under the stewardship of CEO Mimi Vaughn and the board, driven by an iterative strategic initiative. Egan-Jones highlighted the company's recovering cash flow, modestly improving profitability, and early evidence of successful Journeys repositioning, stating the strong TSR over the past year demonstrates market optimism.

Governance and Performance Metrics

The Radoff-Jumana Group, which owns approximately 9.1% of Genesco, had criticized the tenures of specific directors, pointing to total shareholder returns during their service. The advisory firms, however, evaluated the company's broader performance trajectory against peers.

The dissident group had called for CEO Mimi Vaughn to step down as Chair and for the immediate resignation of directors Joanna Barsh and Thurgood Marshall, Jr. They also urged Genesco to return excess cash to shareholders via a Dutch tender offer for 1 million shares, following a $58.7 million tax refund and an anticipated $23-$25 million tariff refund. Genesco has not indicated it will pursue these proposals, relying instead on the support of all three proxy advisory firms and its existing strategic plan.