The sportswear retailer said it believes the fall in profits is due to the unseasonal weather through the summer in the activity-based sector and said it was not a true reflection of the substantial progress it is making. JD Sports hired former B&Q executive Schultz to take over from Peter Cowgill in August. Schultz replaced Kath Smith, a former Adidas executive, who had been running the company on an interim basis since Cowgill's departure.