Academy Sports + Outdoors announced today that they’ll be undergoing some planned leadership changes. The succession process will be effective June 1st, 2023 and entail the highest executive level in the company.
From the announcement, the following role changes are planned.
- Ken C. Hicks, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), will transition from President and CEO to Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.
- Steven (Steve) P. Lawrence, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Merchandising Officer (CMO), will become CEO and a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Lawrence will continue to serve as CMO until a successor is selected and duly appointed.
- Michael P. Mullican, EVP and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), will become President and assume additional responsibilities for the strategic planning, logistics & supply chain, legal, compliance, and risk management functions, in addition to his existing financial planning & analysis, accounting, treasury, tax, internal audit, investor relations, loss prevention, and customer insights & strategy responsibilities. Mr. Mullican will continue to serve as CFO until a successor is selected and duly appointed.
- Samuel (Sam) J. Johnson, EVP, Retail Operations, will assume additional responsibilities for the real estate, construction and store design functions.
Ken Hicks has been in his current role since May 2018 and a member of the Board starting a year prior.
It has been an enormous privilege leading Academy as CEO over the past five years. Having known Academy since I was growing up in Houston, this has been a dream job that has allowed me to fill my passion for retail and connect with our team members and customers. I have been fortunate to work with the best team in retail to lead Academy through significant changes, challenges, transformation, and improvement. Every level of our organization delivered and contributed to our success. I would like to thank our 22,000 great team members, who have been focused on building our company while serving our customers and providing fun for all, and our Board of Directors for their unwavering support. I look forward to continuing my leadership role on the Board and working with Steve to ensure a seamless transition and the successful execution of Academy’s new, long-range plan.
Ken C. Hicks, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Academy has been rapidly expanding their footprint in recent years. They have plans to continue that pace and open new stores in new markets over the coming years.
Most recently they announced the opening of a location in Peoria, IL on April 25th, and a new store in Lafayette, IN on April 28th.