BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — May 24, 2019 — Hibbett Sports Inc., an athletic-inspired fashion retailer, today announced the appointment of Anthony F. Crudele as its independent chairman of the board of directors. Crudele assumed this role from Michael J. Newsome, who retired from the board, as planned, following the company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on May 23, 2019. In addition, the board of directors bestowed upon Newsome the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus for his 54 years of service with Hibbett.
Crudele has been a member of the company’s Board since May 2012 and served as its lead director and chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee since February 2017. He has extensive retail experience, including having been the CFO at Tractor Supply Company (TSCO), a high-growth Fortune 500 retailer. He joined Tractor Supply Company in 2005, having served most recently as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer before retiring in 2017. Prior to joining Tractor Supply Company, Crudele served as senior vice president and CFO at The Sports Authority and Gibson Guitar. Crudele, a certified public accountant, began his career in 1978, spending the majority of his public accounting tenure at the international firm of Price Waterhouse. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame.
In commenting on his retirement from the board, Newsome said: “It has been my pleasure to work with the Hibbett family and the company’s board of directors and watch the company grow from a single store to the retailer and brand we are today with over 1,100 retail locations in 35 states. I want to thank all our current and past employees and Board members for their hard work and support over these many years. I also want to congratulate Tony on his appointment as chairman of the board. I am confident that with his extensive retail and strategic experience, he will do well and find the position as rewarding as I have.”
Crudele, commenting on his appointment stated: “I am honored to be named chairman and want to thank my fellow Board members for this opportunity. I am also very grateful for Newsome’s dedication and commitment to this company and our board, having joined Hibbett as an outside salesman in 1965 and serving as a member of our Board since 1996 when the company went public and as chairman of the Board since 2004. We will miss his expertise in sporting goods retail and his friendship. We wish him well in his much-deserved retirement.”
Hibbett, headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., is an athletic-inspired fashion retailer with more than 1,100 stores under the Hibbett Sports and City Gear banners, primarily located in small and mid-sized communities. Founded in 1945, Hibbett has a rich history of convenient locations, personalized customer service and access to coveted footwear, apparel and equipment from top brands like Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Under Armour. Consumers can browse styles, find new releases, shop looks and make purchases online or in their nearest store by visiting www.hibbett.com or www.citygear.com.
Posted May 24, 2019
Source: Hibbett Sports Inc.
