Dick’s Sporting Goods names former Aldi executive Matthew Barnes as president of Foot Locker International

The US retail group Dick’s Sporting Goods has appointed Matthew Barnes as President of Foot Locker International. The experienced retail manager will take up his new position on December 3, the company announced on Tuesday. The appointment is “an important addition to the leadership team” following the acquisition of Foot Locker by Dick’s Sporting Goods.

In his future role, Barnes will lead Foot Locker’s international store network, e-commerce and digital operations in Europe, Asia and Australia, according to a statement. He also assumes responsibility for the license locations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He will report directly to Ed Stack, executive chairman of Dick’s Sporting Goods, who also leads Foot Locker’s business.

According to his future employer, Barnes brings with him almost 30 years of experience in global retail. During his career he has led major consumer goods companies in the UK, Europe, USA, China and Australia. He held various management positions at the German discounter Aldi. Among other things, he worked there as Group CEO and member of the International Board of Aldi Süd. He was also CEO for the UK at British retailer Tesco.

Stack welcomed the new addition: “We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Barnes to our outstanding Foot Locker management team as we return the company to the forefront of our industry and position it for its next phase of global growth,” he said in a statement. “Matthew has a proven track record of working with renowned global brands to transform and grow their businesses, making him the ideal leader to further develop Foot Locker’s international platform.”