Change of chief executive at Foot Locker
Specialist sports footwear retail group Foot Locker has announced that long-standing chief executive, Richard Johnson, will retire on September 1. Mary Dillon, who formerly ran beauty store chain Ulta Beauty, will take up the role of chief executive of Foot Locker.
Richard Johnson has been Foot Locker’s chief executive since 2014 but his career at the group spans three decades. He will remain as executive chairman of the board until the end of January and, after stepping down from the board at that point, will be a senior adviser to Ms Dillon until April 2023 “to facilitate a smooth transition”.
Foot Locker has decided to separate the roles of board chair and chief executive. Its lead independent director, Dona Young, will become non-executive chair of the board in February.
“It has been a privilege and an honour to lead Foot Locker and work alongside the best team in retail for nearly 30 years,” Mr Johnson said on announcing his retirement. “Together, we have built a broad house of brands and banners fuelled by a shared passion for the global sneaker community. We have turned a brick-and-mortar company into an interactive retail community poised for long-term growth in the digital era.”
