Foot Locker veteran named president of Genesco's U.K. business
A leadership shakeup is set to take place at one of Genesco’s footwear brands.
Tomas Petersson has been named the next president of Schuh, the company’s U.K. business that sells branded footwear to the youth consumer. Petersson succeeds Colin Temple, who is retiring after a 38-year tenure with the company.
Petersson most recently served as Foot Locker’s senior VP and general manager, EMEA, leading the company's largest international business. He previously served as Foot Locker’s global general manager of Atmos, the company’s premium sneaker business. Other past positions include senior executive roles with Intersport and Puma.
Petersson will join Schuh in late July and work closely alongside Temple over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition. Petersson will report directly to Andy Gray, CEO of the Journeys Global Retail Group, which brings together U.S. footwear retailer Journeys with Schuh and Canada’s Little Burgundy.
[READ MORE: Finance veteran to join footwear company Genesco's C-suite]
“I am honored to join Schuh and the Genesco family at such an exciting time,” 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.”
Temple spent nearly four decades with Schuh, 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. Under Temple's leadership, Genesco says Schuh strengthened its position as one of the U.K.'s leading footwear retailers, including by building market-leading omnichannel capabilities.
"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,” said Gray. “He leaves behind a strong team, a distinctive brand and a business that is well positioned for continued success. 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.”
Genesco operates more than 1,200 retail stores, along with its branded e-commerce websites.
