JD Sports names John Mersho CEO of JD North America as sales decline
The move follows John Hall's retirement after four decades in retail and a 4.5% sales decline in JD's largest region.
JD Sports Fashion has named John Mersho president and chief executive officer of the JD banner in North America, effective immediately. The UK based retailer made the appointment on Tuesday alongside a second executive move, naming Mike Grimes as chief marketing officer for JD Group.
Mersho steps into the role following the retirement of John Hall, who is leaving after a four decade career in retail. Hall began his career on the shop floor at Nordstrom and was appointed CEO of JD's North American business in 2023, a role from which he now retires.
JD Sports said the appointments reflect its continued focus on capturing the growth opportunity in North America, while enhancing its position as a market leader and its unique customer proposition. Both executives take up their new positions with immediate effect.
Who is John Mersho
Mersho has held the role of chief commercial officer for JD North America since 2025. He is a member of the Mersho family that founded Shoe Palace in 1993, a chain he went on to lead as chief executive from 2024 before moving into his JD role.
JD Sports said Mersho will focus on strengthening the company's product proposition, enhancing the customer's omnichannel experience, and expanding brand awareness and presence across North America. Regis Schultz, group chief executive of JD Sports Fashion, thanked Hall for his contribution to the business.
Schultz said Mersho and Grimes are outstanding leaders, both well tenured within the business and bringing extensive experience and deep knowledge of the markets JD operates in, and said he was delighted to welcome them to their new roles.
Mersho said he is honoured to take on the new opportunity. Our teams have worked hard to build strong foundations for growth across the region, he said, adding that he is looking forward to capitalising on the opportunities that lie ahead for JD in North America.
What the new CMO role covers
Grimes has worked with JD, and previously with Finish Line, in North America for nearly twenty years, most recently as chief marketing officer for that business. In his new group wide role he will lead the long term direction of the JD brand globally.
His remit includes ensuring a consistent vision across markets while enabling local teams to connect authentically with customers. Grimes will also help strengthen the group's customer proposition by drawing on the scale of its brands, its own brand portfolio, customer insights and global brand partnerships.
Grimes said he is excited to lead the next phase of the brand's marketing evolution, working closely with JD's fascias and brand partners around the world to strengthen cultural relevance and curate compelling customer experiences that support the group's growth plans.
The sales decline behind the reshuffle
The leadership change comes as JD Sports continues to see sales take a hit in North America, its largest market. In the company's second quarter of fiscal 2027, reported in August, organic group sales declined 1.3% to 3.09 billion pounds, with like for like sales down 3.1%.
North America fared worse than the group as a whole. Organic sales in the region declined 4.5% to 1.07 billion pounds in the quarter, a steeper drop than the 1.3% seen group wide, despite the region accounting for 38% of JD Sports' overall sales.
JD's North American portfolio spans a wide set of retail banners beyond the core JD fascia, including Hibbett, Shoe Palace, DTLR and Finish Line, the last of which operates both within Macy's stores and as standalone locations that are being converted to JD.
Schultz described the appointments as an important step in the next phase of JD's growth, saying Mersho and Grimes will play a critical role in delivering against the group's strategy, enhancing the customer experience and driving sustainable growth across the business.
Mersho, in his own remarks, said his focus remains on delivering JD's differentiated proposition to customers, partnering with the right brands to do so, and expanding the group's presence in a North American market that has become its most closely watched region.
The reshuffle follows a run of similar leadership changes across retail this year. Rent the Runway named Nordstrom veteran Paige Thomas as chief executive, Space NK named Emma Simpson-Scott to replace Andy Lightfoot after ten years, and Theory named James Kelly as global CEO.
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