Jack Wills CEO exits following Sports Direct takeover

Jack Wills CEO Suzanne Harlow has left her position at the company just two weeks after it was bought in a pre-pack administration deal by Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct.

Harlow exited the Jack Wills on Tuesday and did not resign or quit, a source from the casualwear retailer told Retail Gazette. The source couldn’t confirm whether the decision came from Sports Direct or whether it was mutual.

Earlier this week, it emerged that Sports Direct was planning to close eight Jack Wills stores and may close more if landlords don’t agree to cut rents.

The closed stores are in Marlborough, Derby, Reigate, Rock, Tunbridge Wells, Durham, Kingston and St Albans. Sports Direct said it would try to redeploy affected staff elsewhere in the group, according to The Financial Times.

Earlier this month, Jack Wills was bought by Sports Direct for 12.75 million pounds in a pre-pack administration deal.

According to accounts filed with the Companies House UK, Jack Wills reported pre-tax loss of 29.3 million pounds for the year to January 31, 2018, while sales were down 1.1 percent to 129.3 million pounds.

Photo credit: Jack Wills, Facebook