Matthew E. Rubel

Topeka, Kan. -- Collective Brands, parent to the Payless ShoeSource and StrideRite brands, announced Wednesday that its chairman and CEO Matthew E. Rubel has resigned, effective immediately. Rubel said in a release that he is leaving to pursue “a new chapter” in his career, and the company has offered no additional explanation. Collective Brands said it is searching for a permanent replacement. Rubel, who hailed from the Cole Haan division of Nike, assumed the CEO position for Collective in 2005. The company has struggled with weak customer traffic in the United States recently, although wholesale operations and international business