04 Jun Academy Sports + Outdoors Begins Succession Planning
Academy Sports + Outdoors has begun planning for the succession of its president and CEO, Rodney Faldyn, who joined the retailer in 2006 and was appointed CEO when affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR) acquired a majority stake in Academy in August 2011.
“Mr. Faldyn has led Academy to extraordinary heights, including growing store count by nearly 50 percent, launching a new e-commerce platform, implementing a new Oracle retail management system, and, most impressively, driving strong performance by nearly doubling cash flow from earnings during our ownership,” says Nate Taylor, Academy Board Member & KKR Head of Retail – Americas.
While Faldyn has not decided on a specific timeline for his exit, Academy has nonetheless initiated a succession planning process to ensure a seamless executive management transition during this period. Faldyn will remain CEO as well as a board member during the search process.
“I’m tremendously proud of Academy Sports + Outdoors’ evolution as we’ve strengthened our market position, expanded our store footprint, and invested in talent and infrastructure,” says Mr. Faldyn. “Academy has been my passion for the past ten years, and I am fully committed to facilitating a smooth transition to my successor when the time is right. I look forward to remaining a long-term investor in the company.”
The $4 billion company operates 198 stores throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, where the company is based.