Ethan Allen shareholder Doug Bergeron urges vote for new directors and interim CEO plan
ETD•Doug Bergeron, who holds about 5.2% of Ethan Allen, urged shareholders to back his five director nominees and a plan to appoint an interim CEO within 100 days.
1. Proxy fight escalates
Bergeron urged shareholders to support his five director nominees at Ethan Allen’s 2026 annual meeting, arguing the board should be reconstituted after years of contraction. His campaign criticized CEO Farooq Kathwari’s tenure, citing more than $55 million in compensation and special-dividend value since 2015.
2. CEO and strategy proposals
Bergeron said the board should not control CEO succession, noting a public search timeline emerged only after his group launched its own search. His plan calls for an interim CEO within 100 days, a strategic reset, growth investment while protecting the regular dividend, and tighter governance oversight.
