Petersson will join schuh in late July. He will work closely alongside Temple over the coming months to ensure a seamless transition and provide continuity for schuh’s people, partners, and customers.
Genesco has appointed Tomas Petersson as president of its UK footwear retailer schuh, succeeding Colin Temple, who is retiring after 38 years with the business.
Petersson, formerly with Foot Locker, will join in late July and lead schuh’s next growth phase, while Temple leaves behind a strong omnichannel business and established brand partnerships.
“I am honored to join schuh and the Genesco family at such an exciting time. I would like to thank Andy Gray and the leadership team for the opportunity and the confidence they have placed in me. Colin and the team have built an outstanding business with a unique culture, exceptional people and strong brand partnerships,” said Petersson. “I look forward to building on that foundation, accelerating growth, strengthening our footwear strategy, and delivering an even better experience for our customers, colleagues and brand partners.”
An industry veteran, Temple has been an integral part of schuh for nearly four decades, including the last 15 years as president. Joining the business as a merchandiser in 1988, he worked his way up to managing director in 2002, before being named president of schuh. Under Temple’s leadership, schuh strengthened its position as one of the U.K.’s leading footwear retailers, building market-leading omnichannel capabilities, deep and trusted brand partnerships, and a distinctive retail experience for customers. He leaves behind a business with a strong foundation, well positioned to continue growing both on the high street and online.
“Colin’s leadership has helped shape schuh into one of the U.K.’s leading footwear retailers, and I want to thank him for his extraordinary contributions to the business for nearly four decades. He leaves behind a strong team, a distinctive brand and a business that is well positioned for continued success,” said Andy Gray, Journeys Global Retail Group CEO. “As we look ahead, Tomas’ international experience and proven ability to grow retail businesses make him the right leader to build on that momentum while advancing our shared strategy across the Journeys Global Retail Group.”
“I have every confidence that Tomas is the right person to lead the business into its next chapter. Serving as schuh president has been the privilege of my career. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved, and I want to sincerely thank the people at schuh for their dedication, hard work and friendship,” said Temple. “While I look forward to the next chapter, I leave knowing the business is in great hands and has a bright future ahead.”
Petersson will report directly to Gray. Journeys Global Retail Group brings together U.S. footwear retailer Journeys with schuh and Canada’s Little Burgundy under a unified leadership structure, uniting Genesco’s youth-focused footwear businesses.
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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
