Sports retail giant Decathlon has appointed Elena Pecos as the new chief executive of its Irish business. Ms Pecos has taken over the role from Bastien Grandgeorge, who had led the Irish side of the business since 2017 but has now moved on to lead the French Decathlon business.
Ms Pecos joined Decathlon as a sales assistant in Spain in 2006, before going on to hold a number of senior positions for the company there, as well as in France and Chile.
“I am very happy to be coming on board as the CEO of the Irish brand of the company,” she said following her appointment. “Together with my team we will work to further accelerate Decathlon’s impact and development in the country, making the joy and benefits of sport accessible to all Irish people. It is a great honour to be able to contribute to this mission and purpose.”
Decathlon’s flagship Irish store is in Ballymun in Dublin. It opened in 2020 after a €13 million investment. The Irish store is number one within its worldwide network for the sales of hiking and camping equipment, surfing and stand-up paddle equipment, and road bikes.
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Decathlon is currently seeking staff for a new Limerick store which follows the same concept as Ballymun with some 5,000sq m of retail space catering for 70 sports. The outlet also features 1,500sq m of “sports experience” zones, which include a climbing wall, a cycling track, an indoor gym, a football pitch, a basketball court and an outdoor area for fitness, all which are available for use by Decathlon members.
Decathlon is also looking for premises or plots to expand its Irish store network in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Dublin.
Founded in 1976 in France by Michel Leclercq, Decathlon has grown into a global leader in supplying sports gear and equipment, with more than 1,600 stores worldwide and 93,000 employees in over 69 countries.
