JD Sports Chair exits following reported disagreement over CEO

Last week, JD Sports Chair Andy Higginson announced his intention to step down from his role in July, with new reports suggesting that his departure follows a failed attempt to convince the board to oust CEO Regis Schultz.

Higginson said he would step down following the company's AGM, after almost four years with the company.

Reports from the Financial Times now suggest that Higginson tried to get support from the board to remove the current Chief Executive, Regis Schultz, who has been in the role for around three and a half years.

The publication said some board members agreed with Higginson's assessment, but that JD's majority shareholder Pentland continued to support the chief executive.

The announcement last week made no mention of a potential dispute. Schultz commented that he had been "grateful" for Higginson's support and counsel and that his leadership and experience had been "crucial in building the capability we have around the board today".

At the time, Higginson commented that he was "proud of his time at JD", which had "coincided with a tough period in the sportswear market."

A JD Group spokesperson commented on the latest reports: "It was mutually agreed between Andy and the board that this is the right time for a change of Chair; there has been no disagreement about the board’s continued support for the CEO. The board is grateful for the valuable role that Andy has played during his tenure at the business."

It has indeed been a "tough period" for JD Sports, which reported weaker like-for-like sales of 2.5% to £5.94 billion over the 26 weeks to 2 August, citing "strained consumer finances".

The retailer saw sales fall especially in the UK, partly due to a number of store closures, which left the Group with 13 fewer locations by August 2025.

At the time, Schultz told investors that he was “cautious” about trading in the second half of the financial year.

Yet it had also reported organic sales were up 2.7%, and total sales grew by 18% after it was buoyed by deals to acquire the Hibbert and Courir brands.

In January this year, it had reported “resilient” trading over the peak Christmas period and said it expects full-year profit to be “in line with market expectations”.

While it had reported a return to growth in North America, its largest market, where like-for-like sales rose 1.5%, this was partially offset by weaker trends in Europe and the UK, where consumer demand softened in early December.