JD Sports Fashion has promoted John Mersho to the role of President & Chief Executive Officer for North America, and has appointed Mike Grimes as Chief Marketing Officer for JD Group, effective immediately.
Mersho, who has held the role of Chief Commercial Officer for JD North America, JD Group’s largest region, accounting for 38% of group sales in FY26 (circa £4.8bn), since 2025, steps into his new position following the retirement of John Hall after a career in retail spanning four decades.
As a member of the Mersho family, which founded Shoe Palace in 1993 – eventually becoming CEO in 2024 – John Mersho’s deep industry roots, strong brand relationships and passion for retail “position him as the outstanding candidate to lead JD North America into its next chapter”.
In his new role, Mersho will focus on strengthening JD’s product proposition, enhancing its customer omni-channel experience, and expanding its brand awareness and presence across North America.
Mike Grimes takes on the role of CMO for JD Group, having previously worked with JD (and previously Finish Line) North America for almost 20 years (most recently as CMO for the region).
As Group CMO, Grimes will lead the long-term direction of the JD brand globally, “ensuring a consistent vision across markets” while enabling local teams to connect authentically with customers. He will also help strengthen the group’s customer proposition by leveraging the scale of its global brand partnerships, as well as its own brand portfolio.
Régis Schultz, Group CEO of JD Sports Fashion plc, said: “These appointments represent an important step in the next phase of JD’s growth. John and Mike are outstanding leaders – both well tenured within our business, bringing extensive experience and deep knowledge of the markets we operate in.
“Together, they will play a critical role in delivering against our strategy, enhancing the experience of our customers, and driving sustainable growth across JD.”
John Mersho commented: “The opportunity to lead the North American arm of one of the most dynamic retailers in the world is rare and I’m honoured to take on the position. Our teams have worked hard to build strong foundations for growth across the region and I’m looking forward to capitalising on the opportunities that lie ahead.
“Our focus remains on delivering JD’s differentiated proposition to customers, partnering with the right brands to do so and expanding our presence in the North American market.”
Mike Grimes added: “JD has built a powerful brand with a clear point of differentiation and strong momentum across several international markets. I’m excited to lead the next phase of its brand and marketing evolution, working closely with our fascias and brand partners around the world to further strengthen our cultural relevance, curate compelling customer experiences and support the group’s growth plans.”
JD Group’s North America business incorporates a portfolio of fascias that includes JD, Hibbett, Shoe Palace, DTLR, Finish Line (within Macy’s), as well as standalone Finish Line stores that are in the process of being converted to JD.
With over 2,500 stores in North America, each of its fascias has a different role to play within the market, addressing different customer demographics, styles and trends.
Last month, JD Sports reported a 3.1% decline in sales over the 13 weeks to 1 August, compared to the same period last year on a like-for-like basis.
The decline was particularly pronounced in North America, its biggest market, where sales fell by 6.8% year-on-year. As a result, the retailer said it was downgrading its profit outlook in a “tough” market.
JD Sports said it was now expecting its pre-tax profits for the full year to come in between £700 million and £800 million, down from a previously guided range of £750 million to £850 million.
Last month also saw the appointment of former IKEA CEO Peter Agnefjäll as Chair (effective from 1 September 2026).
Agnefjäll spent almost two decades at IKEA Group, becoming President and Chief Executive from 2013 to 2017, where he oversaw a period of growth, international expansion and digital transformation.