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Dive Brief:
- Following a number of leadership changes earlier this year, Academy Sports and Outdoors has appointed Sam Johnson, currently the executive vice president of retail operations, as president, the company announced Monday.
- Johnson is replacing Michael Mullican, who is stepping down as president to pursue “personal and professional opportunities,” and will be an adviser to the company through a brief transition period. Mullican became president earlier this year, in April, in addition to his then-position as chief financial officer.
- The company also named Eric Friederich as senior vice president of retail operations, replacing Johnson as the head of store operations.
Dive Insight:
With these recent appointments, Academy Sports and Outdoors continues to shuffle around its leadership team.
In April, the retailer announced a number of executive changes, including that then-CEO Ken Hicks would become executive chairman of the board of directors, while Steven Lawrence would become the company’s chief executive. It was at that time that Mullican became president and assumed additional responsibilities for strategic planning, logistics and supply chain, legal, compliance, and risk management, in addition to his duties as CFO.
Mullican’s successor as CFO was named in July, when Carl Ford was promoted to chief financial officer, where he now manages the company’s accounting, tax, treasury and other financial functions. Additionally, the retailer recently promoted Matt McCabe to chief merchandising officer.
In the announcement of Johnson and Friederich's promotions, Academy Sports and Outdoors highlighted their respective experience within and outside the company. After holding leadership positions at HHGregg and Sears Holdings Corporation, Johnson joined Academy Sports and Outdoors in April 2017 and worked to improve the productivity and profitability of its store fleet, the company said. Following Friederich’s time at J.C. Penney and Target, he joined the company in November 2016, most recently as regional vice president of east region stores and previously as senior director of communication and merchandise execution and as a district manager.
“Sam is a trusted and integral partner to our leadership team. I am confident that his deep retail experience, proven leadership and broad knowledge of our business make him very well-suited to help lead us through our current long-range strategy,” Lawrence said in a statement. “Eric also brings a strong wealth of store operations experience and exceptional leadership that we will leverage to continue driving store growth and productivity.”
In addition to promoting executive leaders from within, Academy Sports and Outdoors has expanded its brick-and-mortar footprint in recent months. In September, the retailer announced new stores in Brenham, Texas, and Kyle, Texas. This month, the company opened stores in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Jefferson City, Missouri.
As it aims to reach more in-store shoppers, the retailer has also entered partnerships to add more merchandise to its product assortment. Academy Sports and Outdoors in August teamed up with Fanatics to sell more licensed sports merchandise in stores and online. That same month, the company announced its collaboration with L.L. Bean to sell the brand’s products online and in store.
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Tatiana Walk-Morris, Khareem Sudlow
