JD Sports Appoints CMO to Support North American Growth

JD Sports is making big changes to its leadership team. 

The company has announced that it has appointed Mike Grimes as Chief Marketing Officer for JD Group, alongside the appointment of John Mersho as President and CEO of JD North America. 

According to JD Sports, these appointments sit as part of its plans to enhance its position as a market leader. This comes with a particular focus on North America, where it says it is seeing a “significant” growth opportunity – with JD Sports’s 2026 Annual Report reporting that 38% of its revenue comes from the region. 

“These appointments represent an important step in the next phase of JD’s growth,” says Régis Schultz, Group CEO of JD Sports. 

“John and Mike are outstanding leaders – both well-tenured within our business, bringing extensive experience and deep knowledge of the markets we operate in. 

“Together, they will play a critical role in delivering against our strategy, enhancing the experience of our customer, and driving sustainable growth across JD. 

“I’m delighted to welcome them to their new roles and look forward to working closely with them.”

Leading long-term direction for the JD brand

Mike has worked with JD North America and Finish Line, which was acquired by JD Sports in 2018, for more than 18 years – having first joined the company as a Director of Marketing in 2008. 

Most recently, he held the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for JD North America, first taking on the role in 2019. 

According to JD Sports, over the course of his tenure he has built up his ability to balance creative vision with commercial outcomes, making him a “strong fit” for the role. 

As Chief Marketing Officer of JD Group, Mike will be leading the long-term direction of the JD brand globally, with a focus on ensuring a consistent vision across markets, while still enabling local teams to be able to connect authentically with customers. 

His responsibilities will also include strengthening JD Sports’s customer proposition, through the scale of its brand, own-brand portfolio, customer insights and global brand partnerships. 

"JD has built a powerful brand with a clear point of differentiation and strong momentum across several international markets,” says Mike. 

“I’m excited to lead the next phase of its brand and marketing evolution, working closely with our fascias and brand partners around the world to further strengthen our cultural relevance, curate compelling customer experiences and support the Group’s growth plans.”

From CCO to CEO

As JD Sports grows, Mike will likely be working closely with John as he steps into his new role as CEO of JD North America, formerly the Chief Commercial Officer for the North American leg of the business. 

In his new role, John will be focused on strengthening the company’s product proposition, enhancing its omni-channel experience and expanding its brand awareness and presence across North America. 

“Our teams have worked hard to build strong foundations for growth across the region and I’m looking forward to capitalising on the opportunities that lie ahead,” says John. “Our focus remains on delivering JD’s differentiated proposition to customers, partnering with the right brands to do so and expanding our presence in the North American market.”

Who are JD Sports’s key partners? 

• Nike: Nike remains JD Sports’s most vital brand partner, exemplified by their landmark connected loyalty programme. This technical integration links customer accounts directly across both platforms, giving shoppers exclusive access to targeted product drops. By combining retail data and digital inventory systems, the collaboration drives massive store footfall while cementing JD’s position as a premier global distributor of premium activewear.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Powering JD Sports’s digital operations, AWS serves as a cloud technology partner. The platform supports JD’s international web infrastructure, ensuring stronger traffic management during high-demand promotional events. This allows the business to scale its online storefronts rapidly, modernise core software applications and maintain robust security protocols across all major target shopping regions globally.
• Microsoft: JD Sports worked closely with Microsoft Advertising to make the shift towards being more visible in the AI space. This includes a full account restructure, which strengthened data, signals and campaign alignment. 
• Klarna: Klarna partners with JD Sports to offer flexible payment solutions across digital and physical storefronts. By integrating flexible buy-now-pay-later options into mobile checkout, the service enhances purchasing power for younger consumers. This seamless checkout experience boosts overall conversion rates, driving higher average basket values and encouraging recurring customer engagement across online channels.