Decathlon has named Ikea’s chief digital officer Barbara Martin Coppola as its new chief executive.

Barbara Martin Coppola, CEO of Decathlon

Barbara Martin Coppola

Martin Coppola will replace Michel Aballea who has led the French sporting retailer since 2015.

Martin Coppola, who will begin her new role in mid-March, is the first chief executive in Decathlon’s history to be hired externally. She is currently Ikea’s chief digital officer, a role she has held since April 2018.

Prior to joining Ikea, Martin Coppolla’s career focused on digital transformation. She spent seven years at Google and had roles at Samsung and Texas Instruments.

Decathlon chair Fabien Derville said: “The current good health of Decathlon and our strong ambitions encourage us to accelerate the transformation of our business model to better assert our position as a world leader in sport. We are convinced that Barbara will be able to lead this transformation while respecting our values.”

Martin Coppola added: “I am excited to join a company that is dear to me. I look forward to accelerating Decathlon’s global impact making sport accessible to millions of people. Decathlon products and services improve health and well-being for many, and it will be an honour to contribute to this beautiful mission.”