JD Sports denies rumours that CEO Peter Cowgill is stepping down

British sportswear retailer JD Sports has denied media rumours that its CEO and executive chair Peter Cowgill is planning to exit the business.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, the company said: “JD can confirm to both investors and to its international brand partners that the board is not engaged in a process to recruit a chief executive officer or chairman.

“JD can also confirm that it is continually reviewing the depth of its management team to ensure that the senior operational leadership team in the business has the necessary skills and experience to exploit the ongoing global development opportunities.”

Cowgill, who has been the company's chair for the past 17 years, added: “In conjunction with the senior leadership team, I look forward to welcoming investors and analysts to our second Capital Markets Day and to sharing our strategy and execution plans for the further development of JD over the forthcoming years.”