Ethan Allen Searches for CEO to Succeed Farooq Kathwari

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. announced on September 21, 2026, that it has hired an executive search firm to find a new CEO. The search is to identify a successor for Farooq Kathwari, who has served as the company's president since 1985 and CEO since 1988. Kathwari is scheduled to complete his contract on June 30, 2027, and will remain a nonexecutive board member until the 2027 annual shareholder meeting.

The board intends to name a new leader by the time Kathwari's contract expires. This move follows significant pressure from investor Doug Bergeron, who holds a stake of more than 5% in the company. In August, Bergeron nominated an alternate slate of six board members and criticized the board for its apparent unwillingness to address the succession process.

Bergeron dismissed the company's announcement as "too little, too late." He argued that the current board consists of loyalists to Kathwari and is therefore unqualified to select the next CEO, claiming that while the company has the ingredients to win in the home furnishings industry, it has lacked the leadership to utilize its assets.