Global multi-specialist sports brand catering to everyone from beginners to top athletes, Decathlon has announced a new leadership appointment. The DECATHLON’s Board of Directors has appointed Javier López as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Barbara Martin Coppola who has held this position since March 2022. The new CEO of Decathlon is a native of Madrid (Spain). He is an industrial engineer; he graduated from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid.
As CEO, Javier López is expected to strengthen its competitiveness and growth, while stepping up its actions to promote access to sport and its universal values wherever it operates.
Since joining Decathlon in 1999, Javier López has held a variety of positions within the company, in digital, logistics, and retail. Most recently, Javier headed DECATHLON Germany from 2012 to 2015, then served as CEO of DECATHLON Spain from 2015 to 2022. Having been the driving force behind the company’s strong growth in Spain, Javier was then appointed Global Chief Value Chain Officer in 2022.
“I would like to thank Barbara for the impactful work she has carried out over the past 3 years. Today, DECATHLON is a sports brand that is increasingly recognised worldwide for its products, commitments, and positive impact. As DECATHLON embarks on a new phase in its history, I have every confidence in Javier and his natural ability to bring people together to drive our ambition, and identify new levers for sustainable growth while further strengthening our unique human and inclusive culture,” says Julien Leclercq, Chairman of the DECATHLON Group.
“Over the past three years, we have initiated a major evolution of DECATHLON, moving from ambition to action. I’d like to thank all our teammates, whose dedication made all of this work possible: we’ve repositioned the DECATHLON brand by redefining the customer experience in-store and in e-commerce, which now accounts for 20% of our revenue. We have rethought our brand portfolio, signed partnerships with global reach and created new circular economy models. I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made. I have every confidence in Javier to lead an ever more ambitious company, in the image of DECATHLON,” explains Barbara Martin Coppola.
“As a Decathlonian for 26 years, I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the years to bring the benefits of sport to more and more people around the world. Together, with all our teammates, we will, with determination, enthusiasm and humility, accelerate our economic development and our efforts to serve our human and environmental commitments,” says Javier López.
Founded in 1976, DECATHLON has continued its evolution under the leadership of Barbara Martin Coppola since 2022, with a strategy aimed at becoming a multi-specialist sports brand that acts concretely for people, society, and the planet.
