JD Sports Fashion has appointed Régis Schultz as the company’s new CEO. The appointment was preceded by an extensive global executive search process, which had also caused repeated speculation in the media. Schultz is expected to start at JD in September. At that time, Kath Smith will fully hand over her responsibilities to him during a short transition period. Smith will then resume her former role as senior independent director on the board.
Schultz brings a wealth of C-level retail experience. In particular, he has a strong track record of implementing change through digitization, driving growth strategies across multiple channels and working in international markets. He joins JD from Al-Futtaim Group, a Dubai-based conglomerate that partners with many of the world’s most prominent companies in automotive, retail, financial services, real estate and healthcare, where Schultz has served as president of retail since 2019. Previously, he was chairman and CEO of French food and fashion retailer Monoprix. During his time there, he introduced and implemented a new digital strategy, signed a partnership with Amazon, completed the first international partnership with Ocado and the acquisition of an online shoe pure-player. Previous roles include CEO of French electronics retail chain Darty, CEO of French retail chain BUT, and CFO, commercial director and COO of U.K. home improvement chain B&Q.
