A new era for Decathlon

Wolff Olins Global CEO Sairah Ashman sit with Barbara Martin CoppolaCEO of Decathlon, to discuss Decathlon’s transformation from sports retailer to sports brand, the importance of balancing profitability, growth and sustainability, and his advice as CEO for other leaders navigating similar journeys.

You take on the role of global CEO of Decathlon in 2022. Many new CEOs begin their tenure with a set of priorities and a few key objectives to transform into a new business strategy. You started by establishing a new north star for the organization from which the business strategy was built. Why did you feel it was critical to start with a vision first?

When I joined Decathlon, I recognized the need to articulate our long-term purpose and ambition. In fact, having a purpose-driven culture and a clear vision is key to aligning teammates and guiding them toward unified goals.

Witnessing my colleagues’ deep dedication to sport and their understanding of its social and environmental significance was inspiring. By exploring our collective aspirations, we have created what we call the “North Star”, shaping a visionary manifesto that outlines our ambitions for the next decade.

The North Star is like a beacon that guides our actions and decisions. It is human-centered and represents a call to action to promote a more sustainable future, both for companies and society.

It resonates deeply and evokes emotional responses because it speaks to the heart and moves people when they interact with it.

We summarized the essence of the North Star in a compelling video, which had an even greater reach among our teammates around the world.

You are the first CEO hired outside of Decathlon and the company’s first female CEO. How did it feel to arrive as an outsider helping a company with such a strong legacy transform into something new? What advice would you give to other CEOs going through a similar experience?

It was an honor to be the first woman and the first external hire for the role. I feel a great sense of responsibility to help Decathlon reach its full potential, but also to open doors for other underrepresented groups in leadership positions.

First, it was very important to spend time with as many people as possible, old and new, to really get to know the company. People were curious about me as a person and what I stand for. When they realized that we shared the same values ​​and that I was approachable, they quickly opened up to working together.

Then I worked to gain a deep understanding of the history of Decathlon: the journey from day one in 1976, when a group of friends came together to make the sport accessible. By truly understanding the past, I have been able to better shape our collective vision of where we want to be in the future.

Respecting the past but aiming to create the future is a delicate balance. It is important to adapt to the culture, but also maintain your own form of critical thinking, to have a positive impact on the company.

The benefit of coming from the outside means you have the blessing of a new perspective. Be bold and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.

When challenging the status quo, explaining the reasons why there is a better way is critical, but co-creating solutions together is even more important.

Sustainability is very important to you. And for the majority of Decathlon employees who want the business to be a leader. How do you approach the balance between profitability, growth and sustainability?

Our commitment to minimizing our environmental footprint is not just a priority – it is a fundamental principle.

Part of our new strategic vision is to stop measuring success based on how many new parts we sell. Instead, we focus on how many people we help play sport.

With this, we open the doors to new circular business models, which create value in different ways. It involved completely rethinking the way we do business.

We now prioritize economic and sustainability metrics equally in our performance assessments. Each employee’s bonus incentive includes a planetary component and a financial component. We even changed the title of our Chief Financial Officer to Chief Value Officer because value goes far beyond traditional financial metrics.

Our goal is to consistently disconnect our sales growth from CO2 emissions, striving to be carbon neutral by 2050. Growth for us doesn’t just mean expanding our business; it’s about ensuring this doesn’t come at the expense of our planet, the very environment where our customers thrive.

In addition to circular business models, we are pushing the boundaries of innovation in product production by focusing on: using less harmful materials, reducing water consumption, adopting renewable energy sources and minimizing highly polluting transportation methods.

Unlike other sports brands, Decathlon has never had a symbol and adding ‘L’Orbit’ to the brand has been the main focus of many media outlets. You’ve always said that the brand is more than the logo. What is the role of this new visual identity for Decathlon?

Our new purpose is to take people through the wonders of sport.

Moving has a double meaning: moving physically, but also emotionally. The renewed visual identity aims to help create emotional bonds with our customers.

Much more than a logo, it is an update of our positioning, of our very essence. We have created a new system through which we will evolve Decathlon and the customer experience we offer.

This new form of self-expression will gradually change every point of contact with our customers, whether in store, online or with our products – but also by creating entirely new points of contact that do not exist today.

It’s all about being memorable, building connections and being a partner in our customers’ sporting adventures.

L’Orbit is a symbol of that – combining our classic typology, circularity and open air – it encompasses everything we believe in through a single logo.

We are transforming from a retailer into a sports brand. We don’t just sell sports products, we create experiences.

Whether it’s a child’s first bike ride, a family camping trip, training for a marathon or even climbing Everest! Decathlon will be by your side along the way.

Our visual identity helps to make this known – it’s opening Decathlon’s beautiful blue box to the world, revealing the magic inside.

Looking back at what you’ve achieved so far, is there anything you would do differently or share with others embarking on a similar journey?

I am extremely proud of what we, as a team of 100,000 sports lovers, have achieved so far. Every step of the way, every teammate, whatever their role in the transformation, gave their all—and that means a lot. Leaning on the people around you pays off.

Perhaps one point I would reinforce would be to communicate even more with teammates. Decathlon is a company where people often tend to spend their entire careers. And so change can be worrying. Therefore, regular, clear and reassuring communication is extremely important.

Make sure everyone is included and supported on the journey together. Always remain open to feedback, be agile and ready to learn along the way.