Footasylum has revealed its executive chairman and CEO Barry Bown is stepping down to take up a consultancy role with the retailer’s owner Aurelius.
Bown has been replaced as chief executive by David Pujolar, who joins this month from AW LAB, a multi-brand, multi-channel streetwear, sportswear and lifestyle retailer, where he has been General Manager since 2016.
Prior to AW LAB, Pujolar has held a range of leadership positions in buying and merchandising at adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, and Foot Locker.
Bown joined the business in 2018, prior to that he spent over 30 years at rival retailer JD Sports, the last 14 of which were as CEO.
On his departure, Footasylum said Bown “has successfully steered the company through a hugely eventful few years, and has restored it to stability and profitability against a challenging backdrop”.
In his new consultancy role, the retailer said he will continue to “use his vast industry knowledge and expertise to support the growth of Footasylum and other Aurelius portfolio companies”.
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Barry Bown said: “Footasylum is an incredible business and I’ve been privileged to lead it for nearly six years. It has been rewarding and challenging in equal measure and, under Aurelius’s ownership, we now have exceptionally strong foundations and a clear strategy for future growth.
“Today, Footasylum is profitable, expanding rapidly, and has a prominent presence on high streets and in iconic retail destinations across the UK. Against that backdrop, the time is right for me to step aside from the day-to-day running of the business, almost 40 years after I first started out in this industry.”
Footasylum’s incoming CEO David Pujolar said: “Footasylum is a business that I’ve admired for many years. It has a distinctive proposition, a loyal customer base, and an exciting portfolio of innovative and trendsetting brands. Barry, Aurelius, and the wider team have done an excellent job in building Footasylum into a leading streetwear retailer and disruptive entertainment company, and I am looking forward to continuing their good work.”
The management change comes just weeks after the business reported a “record-breaking” performance after full year sales and profits surged driven by the opening and upsizing of stores.
In the year to 27 January 2024, EBITDA rose 38% to £22m in the year to 27 January 2024, up from £16m, which its said represented an “all-time high” as performance was “helped by close management of gross margin and operating costs”.
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