Intersport Taps Retail Veteran Philippe Giovanni to Lead France-Belgium Expansion

Intersport, the prominent sporting goods and apparel retailer, has announced a significant change in its leadership for operations in France and Belgium. The move follows the departure of Sylvain Darracq, who spent thirteen years with the cooperative and served as its director for France and Belgium until the height of summer.

Philippe Giovanni has been officially appointed as the new Chief Executive for Intersport France-Belgium. He commenced his role at the company’s Longjumeau headquarters on October 13. In his new capacity, Giovanni will be tasked with spearheading the ongoing transformation of the business, executing the strategic plan outlined for 2030, and ambitiously advancing the Intersport cooperative, both domestically and on an international scale.

Giovanni brings a wealth of experience to Intersport, with three decades dedicated to the retail sector. His extensive background includes a nearly twenty-year tenure with the Les Mousquetaires group, where he notably oversaw the consolidation of the Bricomarché, Bricorama, and Brico Cash chains—a testament to his expertise in an industry undergoing profound transformation. More recently, he held the position of leader for the international retail arm of Nobilia, a specialist in fitted kitchens for consumers.

This pivotal appointment comes one year after Gérard Leclerc was elected chairman of the cooperative, succeeding Jacky Rihouet. Giovanni’s leadership will be crucial in implementing the next phase of the group’s strategy, which extends to 2030 and also encompasses the Blackstore brand. In a statement, the Intersport group highlighted Giovanni’s "expertise in cooperative and franchise models, his command of central purchasing operations supporting single-channel networks and his solid experience in managing multidisciplinary teams" as major assets for their collective future.

Looking ahead, Intersport has set ambitious targets, aiming to achieve €4.4 billion in revenue by 2030 and secure a 15% market share in the sports sector. To facilitate this growth and transformation, the new chief will oversee a substantial investment budget of €70 to €100 million over the next three years. This significant financial commitment underscores the group’s dedication to realizing its strategic objectives under Giovanni’s guidance, whose profile as an expert in consolidating retail chains is anticipated to play a key role in the company's future trajectory.