Foot Locker reorganizes global operating model for international growth

By

Robin Driver

Published
Feb 6, 2019

New York-based sports and footwear retailer Foot Locker, Inc. announced on Tuesday that it has realigned its organizational operating model into three geographical regions – EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Asia Pacific and North America – appointing the new divisions’ leaders from within.

 
The realignment is intended to facilitate further international growth at Foot Locker, which has opened locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia over the course of the last year, as well as an Asian HQ in Singapore.

The company also launched digital channels in the regions during this period, and has even been able to offer a limited selection of products to consumers in mainland China through a partnership with Tmall.

As part of the reorganization, the company has appointed Lew Kimble as executive vice president and chief executive officer for Asia Pacific, while Vijay Talwar has been promoted to the role of executive vice president and chief executive officer for EMEA.

Stephen Jacobs will continue in his current position as executive vice president and chief executive officer for North America.
 
Kimble has served as EVP and CEO of Foot Locker’s international business since 2016 and oversaw the company’s expansion into Asia. In his new position, he will be charged with pushing brand strategy and exploring additional growth opportunities in Asia. He will also be aiming to reinforce the company’s digital channels and supply chain capacities in the region.
 
Prior to leading the company’s international business, Kimble was president and CEO of Foot Locker Europe, and managing director of Foot Locker Asia Pacific, having joined the retailer in 1976 as a store associate.
 
In his new role, Talwar will be responsible for driving productivity, capitalizing on growth opportunities and polishing Foot Locker’s omni-channel model in the EMEA region. He will be in charge of both Foot Locker Europe and Runners Point Group’s strategic directions, overseeing a range of operational tasks, such as finance, marketing, merchandising, and in-store customer experience. The group’s franchising operations in the Middle East will also come under his remit.
 
Talwar first joined Foot Locker in 2016 as president of digital and Foot Locker.com/Eastbay, bringing with him two decades of experience at companies including Sears Holdings, Blue Nile, Inc., and Nike.
 
“Lew and Vijay have done an outstanding job leading their respective teams and functions to deliver against our long-term growth initiatives,” said Foot Locker chairman and CEO Richard Johnson in a release. “With our new organizational structure, I am confident that their powerful leadership combined with Jake's strong leadership in North America will serve as a catalyst to grow the core businesses within each respective region and pursue expansion opportunities, both in our stores and through our digital platforms internationally.

Over the last year, Foot Locker has also been busy rolling out its new Power Store concept with locations in the UK, Asia and, most recently, Metro Detroit. The company has plans to open over a dozen more of the stores this year, with future US locations slated for Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.
 
Foot Locker currently operates some 3,220 stores in 27 countries around the globe. For the third quarter of fiscal 2018, the company reported total net income of $130 million, up from $102 million in the prior-year period.