Former Sports Direct CEO Dave Forsey is making an unexpected return to Frasers Group to spearhead its international expansion efforts.
Retail Week reports that Forsey, known for being Mike Ashley’s right-hand man, will take on the role of general manager for the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) regions.
The role will see him based in Malaysia, with regular trips to the retail giant’s London office for two weeks every two months.
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Forsey, who began his career at Sports Direct as an 18-year-old Saturday worker, worked closely with Ashley for over three decades, eventually taking on the job of CEO.
He stepped down in 2016 amid controversy over zero-hour contracts and reports of warehouse staff being paid below minimum wage.
After leaving Sports Direct, Forsey took on consultancy work before joining Revolution Beauty as managing director, a position he held for three years until February 2023.
Frasers Group confirmed Forsey’s return but declined to comment further.
The move comes as the Sports Direct owner cut its profit outlook for the year to a range of £550m to £600m as group sales fell 8% in the 26 weeks to 27 October.
Frasers’ pre-tax profit had dropped 33% to £207.2m during the period, down from £310.2m the year before, due to a decrease in foreign exchange and the material decline in the Hugo Boss share price. On an adjusted basis, it slipped 1.5% to £299.2m.
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