Kath Smith steps down as senior independent director at JD Sports

UK-based omni-channel retailer JD Sports Fashion (JD) has announced that Kath Smith, senior independent director, will stand down from her position on the board on January 19, 2027, after more than seven years with the business.

Smith joined the board in May 2019 and was appointed senior independent director and designated workforce engagement non-executive director in February 2022. During her tenure, she led the process to appoint Peter Agnefjäll as non-executive chair, who joined the board on September 1, 2026.

Smith also served as interim chief executive officer from May 2022 until September 2022. In addition, she was a member of the audit and risk, nominations, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) committees, as well as serving on the remuneration committee from February 2020 until October 2022.

In her role as workforce engagement non-executive director, Smith engaged with colleagues across the group through employee mentoring and supported inclusion initiatives, including International Women’s Day, ‘JD UP’ and The JD Foundation Gala.

JD chief executive officer Régis Schultz added: “Kath has offered great counsel and support both to me and the wider business during her tenure as Senior Independent Director. Her extensive experience and deep understanding of our brand partners has been invaluable to JD, and instrumental in helping us to strengthen our Group-wide proposition. On behalf of the senior leadership team, I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Kath for everything she’s done over the last seven years.”

JD has confirmed that an independent search process to identify her replacement has commenced.

Commenting on her departure, Smith noted the significant step change in JD in recent years, highlighting the strength of its leadership, investment in growth foundations, curated retail destinations and in-store teams. She expressed confidence that the business is fundamentally in a strong place as it enters its next phase.