Decathlon appointed Barbara Martin Coppola as chief executive officer. She succeeds Michel Aballea in office since 2015. Coppola’s appointment is effective mid-March 2022.

“The current good health of Decathlon and our strong ambitions encourage us to accelerate the transformation of our business model to better assert our position as a world leader in sport. We are convinced that Barbara will be able to lead this transformation while respecting our values,” said Fabien Derville, chairman of the board, Decathlon,

Coppola has a successful track record in transforming and growing large-scale global companies. She has a strong digital and business background, developed over 20 years working and living in nine countries. Prior to Decathlon, she held positions with IKEA, Google, YouTube, Samsung, and Texas Instruments. Previous roles include chief marketing officer, GrubHub and head of growth at Google Express.

“I am excited to join a company that is dear to me. I look forward to accelerating Decathlon’s global impact making sport accessible to millions of people. Decathlon’s products and services improve health and well-being for many, and it will be an honor to contribute to this beautiful mission,” said Coppola.