JD Sports has named Peter Agnefjäll as its new chair, the FTSE 100 retailer announced on 7 August 2026, bringing in the former chief executive of Ikea to steady the board after months of internal conflict.
Agnefjäll will take the role from the beginning of September, succeeding Darren Shapland, who stepped in as interim chair following the abrupt departure of Andy Higginson in April. Shapland will remain on the board as an independent director.
JD Sports New Chair Brings Retail Pedigree
Agnefjäll spent more than two decades at the Swedish home furnishings group, joining as a business area manager in 2002 and rising to deputy chief executive over ten years. He took the top job in September 2013 and held it for four years.
His broader non-executive experience spans consumer and travel sectors. According to Simply Wall St, he has served on the boards of Orkla, footwear retailer Deichmann, and Wizz Air. He was also appointed a non-executive director of WPP in May 2026; WPP filed a Form 6-K with the SEC, summarised by StockTitan, disclosing the JD Sports role under UK Financial Conduct Authority listing rules.
The search was led by Kath Smith, senior independent director, with the support of an external executive search firm, JD Sports said in its announcement.
The Boardroom Conflict That Preceded the Appointment
Higginson quit ahead of his tenure expiring in July, in line with the firm’s annual general meeting, which was held on 21 July 2026. He said at the time he was ‘proud of his time’ at the company, during which JD navigated a ‘tough period’ in the sportswear market and expanded in the US.
It later emerged his departure followed an attempted coup. Higginson had tried to convince the board to oust chief executive Régis Shultz over slowing sales and stalled progress in North America, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the move. He failed to secure enough backing.
Pentland Group, the retailer’s majority shareholder, threw its weight behind Shultz. JD Sports said at the time the change was ‘mutually agreed’ and that there had been ‘no disagreement about the board’s continued support for the chief executive.’
Higginson had joined as chair in July 2022. During his tenure, approximately 40% of the business came to be located in North America, according to Simply Wall St.
Weak Profits and a Cautious Outlook
Agnefjäll arrives as JD Sports faces a testing trading environment. Pre-tax profit fell by 12% to £629m in the year to January, even as sales rose to £12.7bn. The snippet states sales growth of 12%; DirectorsTalk puts the year-on-year sales increase at the more precise figure of 10.5%; the DirectorsTalk figure is a secondary source and the company’s own disclosure is the arbiter.
The group warned of ‘muted’ growth, citing dampened consumer spending and cost pressures from the Iran war. It issued a wider profit guidance range than it was ‘previously planning,’ forecasting pre-tax profit of between £750m and £850m for the next financial year to account for the ‘uncertainty’ posed by the conflict.
JD Sports also launched a second £100m tranche of its share buyback programme on 3 August 2026, according to Investegate, providing some support to shareholders ahead of the leadership transition.
Agnefjäll’s first test will be whether he can stabilise relations between the board and Shultz and inject fresh momentum into the North American push that consumed much of his predecessor’s tenure.
