Foot Locker hires new CIO to oversee digital operations

Dive Brief:

Foot Locker has appointed Himanshu Parikh to serve as its senior vice president and chief information officer, effective Dec. 11, the company announced on Monday.
Parikh will oversee the retailer's technology strategy and infrastructure. He will also collaborate with the company's senior executives to streamline its processes and assess and roll out new and current systems that are critical to the company's omnichannel operations, according to the company press release.
Parikh brings with him more than 25 years of retail leadership experience, including roles at Michaels and Ross Stores, per the press release. Most recently he held the title of senior vice president, chief technology officer at Michaels.

Dive Insight:

Parikh's hiring comes after Foot Locker shook up its executive ranks earlier this year. While the heads of Asia Pacific and North America retired after long tenures at the company in August, the activewear retailer announced new positions for several other execs.

Foot Locker has modernized its data and technology to connect with consumers in recent years, but Parikh's expertise will be an asset in the company's efforts to become an omnichannel company, Richard Johnson, Foot Locker's chairman and CEO, said in a statement. The company knows how significant technology will be in its ongoing success, and Parikh has a track record of leading digital transformations, Johnson said.

In January, before the COVID-19 pandemic upended in-store operations, Foot Locker unveiled its FLX loyalty program, bringing all of its brands, including Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Footaction and Eastbay, under one program. As the company reworks its leadership and digital roadmap, it also has worked to avoid a takeover effort from Vesa Equity Investment by adopting a poison pill plan.

The past couple of years have seen other athletics retailers and brands shuffle their executive teams. Athleta named a new CEO in 2019. Nike and Under Armour, both of which had new CEOs take over in January, have also been filling out their respective C-suites. In addition to changes brought by top leadership turnover, social justice protests have also forced athletics retailers to examine the diversity of their leadership teams as they push for it in their marketing campaigns.