FTSE 100 retailer JD Sports Fashion Plc has announced that Régis Schultz will be its new chief executive officer, following a global search.

Schultz, who is French, joins from Al-Futtaim Group, a Dubai-based conglomerate which is partner to high-profile companies across automotive, retail, financial services, real estate and health sectors. He has been president of retail there since 2019. The retail division involved brands including Zara, IKEA, Hugo Boss, M&S and Lacoste, and operates in Middle East, Asia and North Africa.

Prior to joining Al-Futtaim, Schultz was CEO of French food and fashion retailer Monoprix, part of Groupe Casino.

Andrew Higginson, non-executive chair of JD, said: “The board has taken this opportunity to conduct a truly global search to find the right candidate to lead JD on the next stage in its development. Régis brings exactly the characteristics we were looking for. He is a retailer through and through with experience across all types of retail formats. He has also delivered transformational change through digitisation in a number of his roles.

“Finally, he has significant international experience which will be very important as he works with myself and our senior team to execute on our growth strategy. We very much look forward to Régis joining us.”