Matthew E. Rubel is an American entrepreneur and investor. Formerly he was chairman, CEO and president of Collective Brands, Inc., the parent company for Payless ShoeSource, a footwear, accessory and lifestyle brand company; Collective Brands' Performance + Lifestyles Group ; and Collective Licensing International.
Career
Rubel started his career at Bonwit Teller in New York after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University in 1979. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami, FL in 1980. Rubel was executive vice president of Murjani International Ltd., where he was in charge of all Tommy Hilfiger businesses. After leaving Murjani, Rubel served as president and chief executive officer of Pepe Jeans, USA and managed Revlon Inc.'s prestige cosmetic brands as president of the Specialty Store Division. From 1994 to 1999, he served as executive vice president of J. Crew Group and the CEO of Popular Club Plan. In November 1998, he led the sale of Popular Club from J. Crew to Fingerhut, the largest independent direct marketer in the United States. While at J. Crew, Rubel handled all licensing and international, as well as brand marketing. From 1999 to 2005, Rubel was chairman, president and CEO of Cole Haan, a leading marketer of high-quality men's and women's shoes and accessories, and subsidiary of Nike, Inc. At Cole Haan, Rubel led a multi-year turnaround, and guided the company into a new era by re-energizing the brand and creating a strong global presence. Rubel joined Payless ShoeSource in June 2005. In July 2007, Rubel led the acquisition of The Stride Rite Corporation and the formation of Collective Brands, Inc., the parent company of Payless ShoeSource, Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group and Collective Licensing International. In December 2007, Footwear News named Rubel their 2007 "Person of the Year," in recognition of his leadership in forming Collective Brands and establishing the company's vision of creating the pre-eminent, consumer-centric, global footwear, accessories and lifestyle brand company, reaching customers through multiple price points and selling channels. The year prior, Footwear News awarded Payless the "Marketer of the Year" award in recognition of its turn-around effort under Rubel's leadership. In April 2008, Rubel received the M.B. Zale Visionary Merchant Award from Texas A&M. In 2011, Rubel resigned from Collective Brands and joined TPG Capital as a senior advisor. In 2015, Rubel left TPG to join Roark Capital as a senior advisor, before joining Varsity Brands as chief executive officer. Rubel left Varsity Brands in early 2017. Rubel is active in several industry and civic organizations, including the Advisory Council for Trade Policy Negotiation, White House and USTR; the Jay H. Baker Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Young Presidents' Organization; President's Council – University of Miami, Florida; chairman of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. He is a member of the American Ballet Theatre board of governing trustees and the International Council of Shopping Centersboard of trustees. He is also a board member for such businesses as Super Valu, HSNi, Hudson's Bay Company, A.T. Cross Pen and Edible Communities.
