Follow us

Menu
PARTNER WITH USFREE NEWSLETTER
VISIT TheIndustry.beauty

Decathlon appoints first external CEO

Camilla Rydzek
26 January 2022

Sports giant Decathlon has appointed Barbara Martin Coppola as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective from mid-March - the first time the business has hired externally for the role.

She succeeds Michel Aballea, who has been in the role since 2015. Prior to Decathlon, Martin Coppola was the Chief Digital Officer for IKEA, and has previously worked at leading tech businesses including Google, YouTube, Samsung and Texas Instruments.

The sports retailer highlighted Coppola's successful track-record of transforming and growing large-scale companies globally and her 20 years experience developing digital and business expertise.

Decathlon Chairman Fabien Derville said: “The current good health of Decathlon and our strong ambitions encourage us to accelerate the transformation of our business model to better assert our position as a world leader in sport. We are convinced that Barbara will be able to lead this transformation while respecting our values.”

Martin Coppola added: “I am excited to join a company that is dear to me. I look forward to accelerating Decathlon’s global impact making sport accessible to millions of people. Decathlon products and services improve health and well-being for many and it will be an honour to contribute to this beautiful mission.”

Decathlon is now present in 70 countries with over 1,700 points of sale and this week announced a partnership with rental platform Hirestreet to allow consumers to rent ski and hiking gear.

Free NewsletterVISIT TheIndustry.beauty
cross