The hire places a Go Sport veteran at the communication helm of the retailer that acquired her former employer — a pointed signal as Intersport France accelerates its push to become the dominant force in French sporting goods retail.
Intersport France has appointed Sarah Hammadeh-Ferreira as its new Communication Manager (Responsable Communication), effective February 2026. She reports directly to Claire Heurtaux, Brand and Partnerships Director, according to French industry publication Filière Sport.
A hire that carries competitive symbolism
Hammadeh-Ferreira spent seven years at Go Sport, the rival French sporting goods chain that Intersport acquired for €35 million in 2023, serving most recently as Brand Director. Her move to the acquirer gives Intersport France direct access to institutional knowledge of a brand it has been systematically converting and absorbing since the deal closed.
Of the 72 Go Sport locations taken over, approximately 50 had been converted to the Intersport banner by 2024, with a small number continuing to trade under the Go Sport or Go Sport Outlet names. The acquisition notably expanded Intersport France’s presence in Paris and other urban centers where the cooperative network had historically been underrepresented.
Communication role gains prominence in a pivotal growth phase
The appointment arrives at a moment of heightened strategic ambition. Intersport France posted turnover of €3.88 billion in 2024, a 6.3 percent increase year-on-year, and has set a long-term revenue target of €5.5 billion by 2030. Reaching that figure will require the kind of brand coherence and consumer messaging that a seasoned Communication Manager is expected to help deliver.
The retailer has already articulated a three-pillar consumer platform: Engagés Prix (defending the “sporting purchasing power” of French families), Engagés Sport (supporting more than 20,000 local clubs and national federations, including a new partnership with the FFHandball, the French Handball Federation), and Engagés pour demain (sustainability, including domestic assembly of Nakamura e-bikes and equipment repair services). Its 2025 global consumer campaign, “Make It Your Game,” frames the brand as an entry point to sport for participants at every level.
Hammadeh-Ferreira’s background positions her to translate those pillars into consistent communication — and to help manage a brand portfolio that now spans more than 1,300 points of sale across France, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal following Intersport France’s November 2025 takeover of Iberian operations.
Leadership continuity in a period of structural change
The communication hire follows a series of governance shifts at the French entity. Philippe Giovanni was appointed General Manager for France and Belgium in late 2025, bringing fresh executive leadership as the cooperative consolidated its Southern European footprint. The integration of Intersport Spain — announced by the Switzerland-based Intersport International parent in November 2025 — placed oversight of Iberian marketing, logistics, and strategy under the French team.
