British sportswear chain JD Sports Fashion Plc has appointed Andy Higginson as the group’s new chairman, effective July 11. He replaces Helen Ashton, who took over as interim chair at the end of May. Higginson’s appointment followed a lengthy search process after Peter Cowgill, who had served as JD Sports Fashion’s executive chairman since 2004, left the company with immediate effect in late May. As a result, JD decided to separate the positions of Chair and Chief Executive going forward.
A native of Bury himself, where JD was founded and is headquartered, Andy Higginson has 28 years’ experience in senior retail positions at places including Unilever, Guinness, Laura Ashley, the Burton Group and Tesco Plc, where he held positions Group Finance and Strategy Director and most recently Chief Executive of Retail Services.
Andy Higginson on his new role: “Having closely followed the success of JD over the years, I see it as an exceptional company with a strong strategic position. I very much look forward to working with the Board and the senior management team, including our new CEO once appointed, to bring my experience and leverage the strength of the brands, market positions and distribution channels, including the global retail network.”