Former JD Sports brand Footasylum, one of the leading retailers of fashion sportswear and trainers in the UK, has announced that executive chairman and CEO Barry Bown will step down.
Brown, who joined Footasylum in 2018 following over 30 years at JD Sports, including 14 as CEO, and led the company through its tricky separation from JD, will take up a consultancy role with AURELIUS, Footasylum’s owner since.
Brown will be succeeded by David Pujolar, who joins from AW LAB, a multi-brand, multi-channel streetwear, sportswear and lifestyle retailer, where he has been General Manager since 2016.
AW LAB has more than 270 shops in Italy, Spain and Portugal, and is part of the Bata Group, a world leader in the footwear industry. Pujolar has led AW LAB’s global expansion across retail, e-commerce and franchising, developed and implemented a new omnichannel web platform, added tools such as Artificial Intelligence and Power Business Intelligence, and also created AW LAB’s loyalty club membership which today has over three million members.
Prior to AW LAB, David held a number of leadership positions in buying and merchandising at adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, and Foot Locker.
The management change comes at the end of an exceptionally strong FY ending January 2024 for Footasylum, including a record revenue and EBITDA performance. Despite the challenging market environment, total revenues in Q4 increased by 7.7% compared to the prior year, significantly exceeding the wider market.
FY24 was also an operationally transformational year for Footasylum, with the Company opening a 20,000 sq.ft flagship store on Oxford Street, as well as a string of other digitally-led openings and up-sizings at atria Watford, Westfield Stratford City, Birmingham Bullring, Lakeside Shopping Centre, and Leeds White Rose.
Tobias Klaiber, Managing Director at AURELIUS, said: “We are thrilled to witness Footasylum continuing its growth journey and solidifying its unique position as a disruptive entertainer, brand incubator, and youth influencer. The record financial results validate our strategic direction, demonstrating the success of our operational transformation and growth initiatives.
“We would like to express our gratitude to Barry for his strong commitment over the years and are pleased to have him as a consultant to the team. With David, we are confident that we have an exceptional successor who will help realise the ambitious goals we have set for this business moving forward.”
Outgoing executive chairman and CEO Brown added: “Footasylum is an incredible business and I’ve been privileged to lead it for nearly six years. It has been rewarding and challenging in equal measure and, under AURELIUS’s ownership, we now have exceptionally strong foundations and a clear strategy for future growth. Today, Footasylum is profitable, expanding rapidly, and has a prominent presence on high streets and in iconic retail destinations across the UK. Against that backdrop, the time is right for me to step aside from the day-to-day running of the business, almost 40 years after I first started out in this industry.”
Incoming Pujolar said: “Footasylum is a business that I’ve admired for many years. It has a distinctive proposition, a loyal customer base, and an exciting portfolio of innovative and trendsetting brands. Barry, AURELIUS, and the wider team have done an excellent job in building Footasylum into a leading streetwear retailer and disruptive entertainment company, and I am looking forward to continuing their good work.”
