Colin Temple leaves Genesco-owned retailer Schuh after nearly 40 years

Colin Temple, the longtime leader of UK-based footwear retailer Schuh, is leaving the company after 38 years.

Temple has been an integral part of the Genesco-owned retailer for nearly four decades, including the last 15 years as president. He joined the business as a merchandiser in 1988, worked his way up to managing director in 2002, and was later named president of Schuh.

Andy Gray, chief executive officer of Journeys Global Retail Group at Genesco, thanked Temple in a statement for his "extraordinary contributions" to the business.

"He leaves behind a strong team, a distinctive brand and a business that is well positioned for continued success," Gray said.

Temple added that serving as Schuh president has been the privilege of his career.

"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," Temple noted. "While I look forward to the next chapter, I leave knowing the business is in great hands and has a bright future ahead."

Successor Named

As Temple exits, the company announced that Tomas Petersson will take over as president of Schuh. Petersson will report directly to Gray and will work closely alongside Temple over the coming months to ensure a seamless transition.

Petersson joins Schuh from Foot Locker, where he most recently served as senior vice president and general manager of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia), the company's largest international business. During his nearly nine-year tenure at Foot Locker, he also served as:

• Global general manager of Atmos
• General manager of Foot Locker Asia

Prior to Foot Locker, Petersson spent over three years at Intersport Sweden as chief commercial officer, and before that, nearly 13 years at Puma. While at Puma, he served as global director of footwear merchandising and sales director of Europe, among other roles.

"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."

Gray added:

"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."

Market Context

The management changes come at a time when Schuh has faced challenges in recent quarters due to a weaker consumer market and heavy discounting in the region.

However, with sharpened customer positioning, Genesco CEO Mimi Vaughn said on the company's first-quarter earnings call with analysts in May that she sees the same opportunity to serve the style-led youth girl at Schuh that the retailer saw at Journeys. As such, the company will continue to prioritize more full-price selling and more controlled markdowns at the retailer.

Vaughn added that Schuh is building on its improved product access with brands like Nike, Adidas and Asics, while optimizing the store footprint will also help.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Genesco reported growth driven by Journeys, with Schuh positioned for continued strategic development under new leadership.