JD Sports Fashion Group has appointed Andy Higginson, a former chairman of Morrisons supermarkets, as chair of the group.

The board at the sportswear and fashion retailer has confirmed Higginson’s appointment and he is set to take up the appointment on 11th July 2022.

The retail veteran most recently held the post of Chair of Wiliam Morrison Supermarkets plc (the owner of Morrisons) from January 2015 until the £7bn takeover of the business by private equity firm CD&R LLP in November 2021.

During this tenure at Morrisons, he oversaw a major turnaround of the business and significant value realisation for shareholders, JD Sports said in a statement.

Higginson will bring to JD Sports more than 28 years of continuous non-executive director experience on PLC boards, including senior leadership roles over nearly 15 years at Tesco.

He is also currently senior independent director at Irish Bookmaking firm Flutter plc.

Commenting on the appointment, Helen Ashton, interim Chair, said:"The board was impressed with the high-quality candidates that we met throughout the recruitment process. Andy, however, stood out as the best candidate with his extensive board experience including as a chair and his strong track record in the international retail sector.

“It is a testament to the quality and attractiveness of JD that we have recruited Andy to the important role of Chair. JD is a great business with a clear strategy, occupying a unique place in the market and we look forward to working with him on our global development opportunities."

Andy Higginson, chair elect, added: "Having closely followed JD's success over the years, I see it as an exceptional business, with a strong strategic position. The board has clearly been addressing its governance and risk management structure and I very much look forward to working with the board and the senior management team, including our new CEO once appointed, to bring my experience to bear and capitalise on the strength of the brands, market positions and channels to market including the global retail store network."

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