JD reinforces his dome. The British fashion and sports equipment distribution company has created the position of CEOa role that will be occupied by Michael Armstrong, a manager who has worked at the company since 1995.
Armstrong will report directly to the company’s CEO, Régis Schultz.and will oversee the strategic direction of the brand, operations and other leadership, along with the business development of the company and the JD brand worldwide.
The manager joined JD in 1995 as a salesperson in a Glasgow store and has held various senior positions within the company ever since. From 2014 to March 2023, Armstrong was group purchasing directorfrom where he controlled the product strategy of JD and the fashion brands linked to the company.
The promotion of the group’s brand manager is in line with the new growth strategy presented by JD last February. The British company is preparing the expansion of its brand internationally, especially in North America and Europe, and the growth of the clothing business, of which Armstrong has been one of the main drivers in recent years.
JD is immersed in a growth plan that involves strengthening the brand and making new openings
In recent quarters, JD Sports has made various changes to its management structure. Régis Schultz, who joined the company in July 2022, with the aim of “strengthening” the company’s governing body. In addition, the group also reorganized its board of directors last May with the appointment of Suzi Williams, specialized in management and marketing, as a new independent director.
Along with strengthening the brand, the British fashion and sports equipment distribution group has launched an aggressive growth plan through openingswhich will mean opening between 250 stores and 350 stores a year until 2027.
The four axes of JD Sports’ new growth plan are to put the brand at the center, create a retail network with complementary concepts, grow beyond physical retail, and focus on “relationships with partners and the community,” the company describes. .
The British sports fashion distribution group closed 2022 with record growth in the second half of the year, increasing its sales by 20% in the five months until December 31 and 10% only during the Christmas campaign. With a view to the next financial year, which ends on February 1, 2024, the company estimates that its profit before tax will be above 1,000 million pounds (1,132 million euros).
