Birmingham-based athletic apparel retailer Hibbett Sports has announced Michael Longo as its new chief executive officer, the company announced in a press release this week.
The ascension of Longo ends the nine-year run of Jeff Rosenthal atop the sportswear company. Rosenthal, who announced his intention to retire in March, worked at Hibbett Sports for 21 years, including as president and CEO since 2010.
Anthony Crudele, chairman of Hibbett’s board, said, “Given Mike’s extensive retail industry and leadership experience, we believe he is uniquely qualified to help strengthen Hibbett’s leadership position in both the customer experience and the active footwear and apparel industry.”
Longo, who holds an undergraduate degree from West Point and an MBA from Harvard, rose through the ranks at AutoZone for many years before founding City Gear in 2006.
Longo served as president and CEO of City Gear from the time he founded it in 2006 until Hibbett acquired it in 2018. City Gear still operates as a subsidiary of Hibbett, with a headquarters that remains in its founding city of Memphis.
Longo said, “I am humbled and extremely honored to be appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Hibbett Sports. It’s a very exciting time for Hibbett as we continue our mission of improving the productivity of our store base while also growing the omni-channel business to deliver a differentiated customer experience to underserved markets.”
Founded in 1945, Hibbett now has performed well in the last year. The retail chain now boasts around 1,100 stores between its Hibbett and City Gear banners.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
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