Jay Schottenstein

Jay Schottenstein is an influential retail entrepreneur with a deep commitment to philanthropy. As a leader in the retail industry, he oversees a network of public and privately held businesses across various categories. Mr. Schottenstein is Chairman and CEO of American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO), Chairman and CEO of American Signature, Executive Chairman of Designer Brands (NYSE:DBI), Chairman, President, and CEO of Schottenstein Stores Corporation & Schottenstein Property Group, Chairman and CEO of SB360 Capital Partners, among others. He also holds board positions at American Eagle Outfitters, Designer Brands, and a number of philanthropic and educational organizations. Mr. Schottenstein developed a keen understanding of business at an early age, fueled by the entrepreneurial spirit of his grandfather, Ephraim Schottenstein. Ephraim and Anna Schottenstein opened Columbus, Ohio-based E.L. Schottenstein Department Stores in 1917 where Jay later learned the family business from his father, Jerome Schottenstein. His first leadership role was in 1976 as a store manager in the family furniture business, Value City Furniture. In 1984, Mr. Schottenstein assumed an executive role in the family’s Value City Department Stores. Following the death of his father in 1992, Jay rose to lead the retail empire and continues to build on the Schottenstein family legacy. Mr. Schottenstein is passionate about giving back to the communities where he and his family live and where his businesses have a footprint. Together with his wife, Jeanie Schottenstein, he developed the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Family Foundation to support local, national and global charitable and educational organizations. He was instrumental in founding The Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Prize in Cardiovascular Sciences at the Ohio State University to provide national and international recognition to those at the forefront of cardiovascular sciences. The Schottenstein family is consistently recognized for their incredible philanthropic efforts. In 2009, Lebron James nominated Mr. Schottenstein for the Time 100, the magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people. In 2010, the American Red Cross of Central Ohio honored the Schottensteins with the Humanitarian of the Year Award for their commitment to improving the Columbus community. In 2016, Mr. Schottenstein was honored with the T. Kenyon Holly Award for his outstanding humanitarian achievement by the Two Ten Footwear Foundation. The Schottensteins were also honored in 2019 by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for their long-standing support.