Academy Sports + Outdoors reported Monday that Michael Mullican is stepping down as company president to pursue personal and professional opportunities. Sam Johnson, EVP of retail operations, is his successor, effective immediately.
Academy promoted Mullican to president in June 2023. He was EVP and CFO from September 2017 to June 2023. He joined Academy as EVP and general counsel in February 2017.
In his new role, Johnson will continue to report to Steve Lawrence, chief executive officer, and his responsibilities will include continued oversight of retail operations, real estate and construction, including new responsibility for logistics and supply chain.
Mullican will serve the company in an advisory capacity through a brief transition period beginning today, October 23.
Johnson has been Academy’s EVP of retail operations and a member of its executive leadership team since joining the company in April 2017. He led the transformation of its store operations to sector-leading store productivity and profitability while “achieving record customer satisfaction scores.” Johnson was also instrumental in helping create “a more exciting shopping experience by hiring enthusiasts to help customers make more informed purchasing decisions while also investing in technology and processes that helped improve operations and drive greater productivity.”
During his tenure at Academy, Johnson has developed a strong partnership with the retailer’s logistics and supply chain organization, well-positioning him for the added responsibility. Before joining Academy, Johnson spent seven years with hhgregg, Inc., where, most recently, he was chief retail officer, leading various functions, including store operations, customer relations, commercial sales, real estate, and visual merchandising. Before hhgregg, Inc., Johnson spent over 20 years in various leadership roles with Sears Holdings Corp., including as vice president of Small Stores.
In connection with Johnson’s promotion to president, Eric Friederich was promoted to senior vice president of retail operations, succeeding Johnson as the head of store operations. Friederich has been with Academy since November 2016, most recently as regional vice president of East Region stores and previously as senior director of communication and merchandise execution and as a district manager. He has over 25 years of retail business experience and previously held leadership positions at JCPenney and Target.
Lawrence said, “I am pleased to congratulate Sam and Eric on their well-deserved promotions. Sam is a trusted and integral partner to our leadership team. I am confident that his deep retail experience, proven leadership and broad knowledge of our business make him very well-suited to help lead us through our current long-range strategy. Eric also brings a strong wealth of store operations experience and exceptional leadership that we will leverage to continue driving store growth and productivity.”
Johnson stated, “I am honored to take on my new role as Academy’s next president. I look forward to working closely with Steve, our Board, and the entire Academy team to continue advancing our long-term growth strategy through new store openings and the increased productivity of existing stores and distribution centers while providing fun for all our customers.”
Lawrence continued, “I also want to thank Michael for his service and leadership to Academy and all his contributions to our success, including helping lead the company through remarkable growth, an initial public offering and a debt refinancing. All of us wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Mullican stated, “It has been an exciting and rewarding journey at Academy. I have genuinely enjoyed my time here and am grateful for the experience and opportunities Academy has provided me. I want to thank all the amazing people across Academy for their support and contributions through the years. I am very proud of the many accomplishments we’ve achieved together.”
Photo courtesy Academy Sports
