Academy names new president, retail ops leader
Texas-based sporting goods retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors, Inc. has announced a shakeup in its senior management.
Effective immediately, Sam Johnson, executive VP of retail operations, will now serve as president, succeeding Michael Mullican, who recently stepped down to pursue other personal and professional opportunities. (Mullican will serve the company in an advisory capacity through a brief transition period beginning immediately.)
In his new role, Johnson will continue to report to Academy CEO Steve Lawrence, and his responsibilities will include continued oversight of retail operations and real estate & construction, as well as new responsibility for logistics & supply chain.
Johnson has been at Academy since April of 2017, and has been credited with leading the transformation of the retailer’s operations to sector-leading store productivity and profitability, while also achieving high customer satisfaction scores. Prior to joining Academy, he spent seven years with Hhgregg, Inc., where he most recently served as chief retail officer and led various functions including store operations, customer relations, commercial sales, real estate and visual merchandising. He previously spent more than 20 years in various leadership roles with Sears Holdings Corporation, including VP of small stores.
In another promotion, Academy has elevated Eric Freiderich to senior VP of retail operations, succeeding Johnson as the head of store operations. Friederich has been with Academy since November of 2016, most recently as regional vice president of East region stores and previously as senior director of communication and merchandise execution and as a district manager. He has more than 25 years of retail business experience and previously held leadership positions at JCPenney and Target.
"I am pleased to congratulate Sam and Eric on their well-deserved promotions,” said Lawrence. “Sam is a trusted and integral partner to our leadership team. I am confident that his deep retail experience, proven leadership and broad knowledge of our business make him very well-suited to help lead us through our current long-range strategy. Eric also brings a strong wealth of store operations experience and exceptional leadership that we will leverage to continue driving store growth and productivity."
Founded in 1938, Academy is quickly growing its store count, and currently operates 275 stores in 18 states. Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private brands.