Leadership Shift at JD Sports: Paul Orange Joins as EMEA General Manager

JD Sports reshuffles its top management. The British sports equipment group has confirmed the departure of its managing director in the Emea region (Europe, United Kingdom, Middle East and Africa), Michael Amstrong, who was appointed three years ago and has more than three decades of experience in JD Group. Amstrong will be replaced by Paul Orange, who joined the group in 2002 and has been involved in retail and operations at Emea.

Michael Amstrong is leaving JD Sports to “pursue other opportunities,“ the company told the British media. Amstrong served as CEO when the position was created in 2023, with the aim of “driving the group’s growth” and “delivering on its ambition to become the world’s leading sports fashion powerhouse,“ the group said.

Paul Orange, in his new role as CEO at Emea, will lead retail, brand and marketing, as well as distribution and digital. In addition, he will coordinate JD Sports country managers. Orange will report directly to Régis Schultz, Group CEO from 2022.

JD Sports posted sales of $11.9 billion in the first nine months of 2025, an increase of 2.5% compared to the previous year

Paul Orange took his first steps at the British company as regional director, a position he held from 2002 until 2015, when he was appointed head of retail and operations for the fashion division of JD Group, the parent company of JD Sports. Three years later, in 2018, he was promoted to head of retail and operations in Europe, and in 2021 he held the position of head of retail in the same region. Since 2023, he has been chief operating officer at Emea.

JD Sports ended the first nine months of the previous fiscal year (ended Nov. 1st) with sales of 8.893 billion pounds ($11.9 billion), up 2.5%.

These sales included the impact of the acquisitions of Hibbet (completed in July 2024) and Courir (in November 2024). Comparable sales declined by 2.2% in the first three quarters of the year.In the third quarter, the trend was similar, with total sales of 2,953 million pounds ($3.99 billion), organic growth was 2.4%, while comparable growth was negative 1.7%.