Learn more about
Dick's Sporting Goods President & COO
JOSEPH SCHMIDT
and Exec VP/Global Merchandising
JOHN DUKEN
"announced plans to retire this week," according to Teresa Lindeman of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Schmidt, who had held his positions since '09 and been with the company since '90, "expects to retire either at the end of the year or whenever works best for the retailer." Duken has been with Dick's since '99. The company also named
LEE BELITSKY
Exec VP/Product Development, Planning, Allocation & Replenishment (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/17). In Pittsburgh, Chris Fleisher notes Schmidt and Duken "worked closely with CEO
ED STACK
to turn Dick's into a company with nearly 600 stores and the biggest sporting goods chain." Dick's has "been adapting to a falloff in its golf business and the growing threat brick-and-mortar retailers face from e-commerce." Needham & Co. analyst
SEAN MCGOWAN
said that there is "no reason to believe" that Schmidt and Duken were "pushed out to make way for new blood." But Fleisher notes their departure "is an opportunity to bring in someone with online retail experience." The company said that it "has started to search" for a replacement for Schmidt, who is 55. But it is "unclear who will replace Duken" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 9/17).
