The company, which owns 375 UK stores, has decided that customers' needs will be better served by having operations that focus solely on the sports and fashion markets.
JD has poached Andrew Helme, the marketing controller of Orange's retail operations and a former Reebok marketer, as the marketing director of its sports division, which focuses on the JD Sports fascia.
Helme, who joins the group on August 11, will report to the group chief executive and managing director of the sports division, Barry Bown.
Steve White, previously the group's creative director, has been made marketing director of the fashion unit, which includes the Open and Athleisure fascias. White reports to Richard Percival, managing director of the fashion unit.
The restructure was instigated by Bown and the group's chairman, Roger Best, who form the new management team aiming to reverse a profits decline earlier this year.
JD Sports also scrapped its Gold Card loyalty scheme at the end of last year.
The restructure resulted in the departure of long-serving marketing director Tim Gardiner (Marketing, May 29). Gardiner is now set to join iris, the youth-focused marketing consultancy, where he will oversee the launch of a new Manchester office working for clients including Manchester United's new Red Cinema concept.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
