Hibbett Sports, Inc. said that Nissan Joseph will join the company as president and COO. Mr. Joseph will report to Mickey Newsome, chairman and CEO, and is expected to begin his duties by early February 2008.
Mr. Joseph brings 22 years of sporting goods retail and wholesale experience to the company. Prior to joining Hibbett, Nissan served as president and CEO of Hickory Brands, Inc. in Hickory, N.C., a privately owned manufacturer of footwear accessories with domestic and international operations.
During his tenure, he was responsible for sales, strategic planning, finance, branding, sourcing and manufacturing operations. Prior to joining Hickory Brands, he held the positions of general manager for Payless Shoes in Australia and regional VP for Footaction USA.
In commenting on the announcement, Mr. Newsome stated, “We are extremely fortunate to have someone with Nissans domestic and international expertise join our management team. His diverse background and successful track record in management, logistics, transportation and importing will be extremely beneficial as we continue to expand our store base and increase our profitability. Nissans leadership and experience will complement our strong management team.”
