Genesco names Tomas Petersson president of Schuh as Colin Temple retires

Genesco has appointed Tomas Petersson as president of Schuh, its U.K. footwear retailer aimed at young consumers, the company said on Monday. Petersson succeeds Colin Temple, who is retiring after 38 years with the business.

Petersson joins from Foot Locker, where he was senior vice president and general manager, EMEA, running the company's largest international business. He previously served as Foot Locker's global general manager of atmos, its premium sneaker business, and as vice president and general manager, Asia, and earlier held roles at Intersport Sweden, where he was chief commercial officer and an executive board member, and at PUMA. He joins Schuh in late July, reporting to Journeys Global Retail Group chief executive officer Andy Gray, and will work alongside Temple over the coming months to ease the handover.

"I am honored to join Schuh and the Genesco family at such an exciting time. I would like to thank Andy Gray and the leadership team for the opportunity and the confidence they have placed in me. Colin and the team have built an outstanding business with a unique culture, exceptional people and strong brand partnerships," Petersson said. "I look forward to building on that foundation, accelerating growth, strengthening our footwear strategy, and delivering an even better experience for our customers, colleagues and brand partners."

Temple joined Schuh as a merchandiser in 1988, became managing director in 2002 and was named president around a decade later, a role he has held for the past 15 years. Under his leadership, the retailer built out its omnichannel operations, brand partnerships and store experience to become one of the U.K.'s leading footwear players.

"Colin's leadership has helped shape Schuh into one of the U.K.'s leading footwear retailers, and I want to thank him for his extraordinary contributions to the business for nearly four decades. He leaves behind a strong team, a distinctive brand and a business that is well positioned for continued success," Gray said. "As we look ahead, Tomas' international experience and proven ability to grow retail businesses make him the right leader to build on that momentum while advancing our shared strategy across the Journeys Global Retail Group."

Temple said the role had been "the privilege of my career." He added: "I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved, and I want to sincerely thank the people at Schuh for their dedication, hard work and friendship. While I look forward to the next chapter, I leave knowing the business is in great hands and has a bright future ahead."

Schuh, built on its "Same, But Different" platform, sells branded and own-label footwear to Gen Z and Gen Alpha across the U.K. and Ireland. It sits within Genesco's Journeys Global Retail Group, which unites the U.S. Journeys chain, Schuh and Canada's Little Burgundy.