Decathlon has unveiled a new leadership structure for its UK and Ireland business, with Elena Pecos appointed as CEO and Romain Gravigny as chief operating officer (COO).
Pecos will take over from Eric Mazillier, marking the start of a new chapter as the two territories combine operations under a single leadership team.
She most recently served as Decathlon Ireland CEO, and will now lead across both the UK and Ireland following the integration of the businesses.
The exec joined Decathlon in Spain in 2006, and has since held roles spanning store management and finance leadership in Spain and France.
She has also held CFO positions internationally in Chile and within its circular economy team, before taking on the top role in Ireland in 2023.
Romain worked for Decathlon for over two decades, most recently serving as CEO at Decathlon Australia.
As COO for the UK & Ireland, he will focus on driving operational excellence, customer experience, and growth for both markets.
The leadership transition comes after the retailer’s UK arm modernised 15 flagship stores, launched a new e-commerce platform and completed a warehouse automation project in 2024.
In Ireland, sales grew 20% in the first half of the year, alongside the modernisation of one flagship store.
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Pecos said: “It’s an incredibly exciting moment for Decathlon in the UK and Ireland to come together, and it’s an honour to be leading the way.
“Together with Romain and our teams, we will build upon the great work Eric has delivered to produce a promising 2025, and continue to press ahead with our digital acceleration across the Decathlon UK & Ireland that has brought us closer to our customers and continues to make sport even more accessible to communities across both countries.”
Gravigny added: “With strong foundations already in place and ambitious growth plans ahead, it’s a privilege to take on the role of COO at Decathlon UK.
“Having been a part of the business for over 20 years, I understand the importance of keeping customers at the heart of everything we do and our transformation strategy in-store and online will continue to deliver on our promise of helping everyone discover the wonder of sports.”
Decathlon appointed Javier López as its new CEO earlier this year, replacing Barbara Martin Coppola who held the role since March 2022.
The exec, who has been with the sports specialist for more than 26 years, previously served as the executive director in charge of Decathlon’s global value chain, a position he took on in 2022.
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