Payless Appoints Mary Chris Gay to Board of Directors

TOPEKA, Kan., July 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Payless Holdings LLC, the largest specialty footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere, announced the appointment of Mary Chris Gay as an independent director of the company.

Ms. Gay is a principal at Bristol Partners LLC and serves as a financial consultant to start-up companies in early stage financing. She also serves on the board of directors of MGM Resorts International, one of the world's leading global hospitality and entertainment companies.

"The addition of Mary Chris to our board will be – and already has been – a game changer," commented Martin R. Wade III, Chairman of the Board and Interim CEO. "She not only brings years of financial expertise, but her knowledge of the lodging and gaming industries, where providing high-quality, engaging experiences for consumers is paramount, translates directly to our customer-focused mission here at Payless."

Ms. Gay will chair the company's Corporate Social Responsibility and Governance and Nominating committees and serve on the Audit and Special committees. Her appointment expands the board size to five.

About Mary Chris Gay

Mary Chris Gay is a Principal at Bristol Partners LLC and has been a financial consultant since 2013. Gay is a qualified financial expert with four years of public company board experience at a global organization. In 2014, Gay was elected to the Board of Directors of MGM Resorts International.  
Gay enjoyed a successful 25-year financial services career serving as Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Legg Mason Inc. While at Legg Mason, she was instrumental in launching the institutional funds effort for Legg Mason subsidiary, Legg Mason Capital Management (now ClearBridge.) Named a portfolio manager at the age of 31, Gay helped grow assets under management that she was responsible for managing to over $20 billion. Mary Chris served on the steering committee for Legg Mason's Women's Leadership Network and was an active long-term member of the United Way of Central Maryland's Women's Leadership Council.  Mary Chris was selected as one of the "20 Directors to Watch" in 2017 by Directors and Boards magazine. Gay serves on two non-profit boards and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and the Women Corporate Directors Foundation (WCD).

About Payless

Payless ShoeSource is the largest specialty footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere, offering a vast array of style, brand and size selections at affordable prices for every member of the family. Founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956, today Payless serves millions of customers through our extensive global network of over 3,500 stores and an increasing eCommerce presence. We employ nearly 18,000 associates in over 40 countries worldwide and are committed to providing an inclusive work culture for all members of the Payless team. While our footprint has expanded over the past six decades, the Payless mission of providing high-quality, accessible style and excellent customer service remains unchanged. To learn more, visit www.paylesscorporate.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Contact:
Lauren Jeffords
785.430.8581
[email protected] 
[email protected]

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource

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