Moving People Through The Wonders Of Sport: A New Era For Decathlon

Wolff Olins Global CEO Sairah Ashman sits down with Barbara Martin Coppola, Decathlon CEO, to discuss Decathlon’s transformation from sports retailer to sports brand, the importance of balancing profitability, growth and sustainability, and her advice as a CEO to other leaders navigating similar journeys.

You took over as Global CEO of Decathlon in 2022. Many new CEOs start their tenure with a set of priorities and a few key objectives to be turned into a new business strategy. You started by establishing a new North Star for the organisation from which the business strategy was built. Why did you think it was key to start with a vision first?

When I joined Decathlon, I recognised the need to articulate our purpose and long-term ambition. Indeed, having a purpose-driven culture with a clear vision is pivotal in aligning teammates and steering them towards unified goals.

Witnessing the profound dedication of my colleagues to sports and their understanding of its societal and environmental significance was inspiring. By tapping into our collective aspirations, we created what we called the “North Star”, shaping a visionary manifesto outlining our ambitions for the next decade.

The North Star is like a lighthouse which guides our actions and decisions. It is human-centric and represents a call-to-action for fostering a more sustainable future, for both business and society.

It resonates deeply and evokes emotional responses because it speaks to the heart, and moves people when they interact with it.

We encapsulated the essence of the North Star in a compelling video, which had an even greater reach amongst our teammates around the world.

You’re the first CEO hired from outside Decathlon, and the first female CEO at the company. How did it feel to arrive as an outsider helping a business with such a strong legacy transform into something new? What advice do you have for other CEOs going through a similar experience?

It was an honour to be both the first female and first external hire for the role. I feel a great sense of responsibility to help Decathlon reach its full potential, but also to open doors for other under-represented groups in leadership positions.

First, it was really important to spend time with as many people as possible, old and new, to really get under the skin of the company. People were curious about me as a person and what I stand for. When they saw that we share the same values, and that I am approachable, they quickly became open to working together.

Then, I worked on having an acute understanding of Decathlon’s history: the journey from day one back in 1976 when a group of friends came together to make sport affordable. By really understanding the past, I was better able to shape our collective vision for where we want to be in the future.

Respecting the past but aiming to create the future is a fine balance. It’s important to adapt to the culture yet also retain your own form of critical thinking, in order to have a positive impact on the company.

The benefit of coming from the outside means that you have the blessing of a new perspective. Be daring and don’t shy away from challenging the status quo.

When challenging the status quo, explaining the reasons why there is a better way is key but co-creating the solutions together is even more important.

Sustainability is very important to you. And to most Decathlon employees who want the business to lead the way. How do you approach the balance between profitability, growth and sustainability?

Our commitment to minimising our environmental footprint isn’t just a priority – it’s a fundamental principle.

Part of our new strategic vision is a shift away from measuring success based on how many new pieces we sell. Instead we focus on how many people we help practise sport.

With this, we opened the doors to new circular business models, which create value in different ways. It involved completely rethinking the way we do business.

Now, we prioritise both economic and sustainability metrics equally in our performance evaluations. Every employee’s bonus incentive includes both a planetary and a financial component. We even changed the title of our Chief Financial Officer to Chief Value Officer because value goes far beyond the traditional financial metrics.

Our objective is to consistently disconnect our sales growth from CO2 emissions, striving to be carbon neutral by 2050. Growth for us isn’t just about expanding our business; it’s about ensuring it doesn’t come at the expense of our planet, the very environment where our customers thrive.

Aside from circular business models, we’re pushing the boundaries of innovation in product production, focusing on: using less harmful materials, reducing water consumption, embracing renewable energy sources, and minimising high-polluting transportation methods.

Unlike other sport brands, Decathlon never had a symbol and adding ‘L’Orbit’ to the wordmark has been the primary focus of many in the media. You’ve always said the brand is more than the logo. What’s the role of this new visual identity for Decathlon?

Our new purpose is to Move People Through the Wonders of Sport.

Move has a double meaning: move physically but also emotionally. The renewed visual identity aims to help create emotional bonds with our customers.

Far more than just a logo – it’s an update of our positioning – our very essence. We have created a new system through which we will evolve Decathlon and the customer experience we offer.

This new form of self expression will gradually change every single touchpoint with our customers, whether it’s in store, online, or on our products – but also through the creation of entirely new touchpoints that don’t exist today.

It’s all about being memorable, building connections and being a partner in our customers’ sporting adventures.

L’Orbit is a symbol of this – combining our classic typology, circularity and the great outdoors – it encompasses everything we believe in through one logo.

We are transforming from a retailer to a sports brand. We don’t just sell sports products, we create experiences.

Whether it’s a child’s first bike ride, a family camping trip, training for a marathon or even climbing Everest! Decathlon will be by your side along the way.

Our visual identity helps to make this known – it is opening the beautiful blue box of Decathlon to the world, revealing the magic inside.

Looking back on what you’ve achieved so far, is there anything you would do differently or share with others embarking on a similar journey?

I’m incredibly proud of what we, as a team of 100,000 sports lovers, have achieved so far. Every step of the way, every single teammate, whatever their role in the transformation, has given it their all – and that means a lot. Leaning on people around you pays off.

Maybe a point I would reinforce would be to communicate even more with teammates. Decathlon is a company where people often tend to spend their entire careers. And so change can be worrisome. So regular clear and reassuring communication is incredibly important.

Ensure that everyone is included and supported on the journey together. Always remain open to feedback, stay agile and ready to learn along the way.