Hibbett SVP operations exits, Ben Knighten promoted to the roll

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Mar 13, 2020

Birmingham, Alabama-based specialty athletic retailer Hibbett Sports, Inc. has announced the departure of Cathy Pryor as senior vice president of operations, and the promotion of Benjamin Knighten to the vacated role.

Pryor has served as SVP of operations since 2009. She is currently the chair of the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) board of directors, marking the organization's first female board chair. 

According to Mike Longo, president and chief executive officer of Hibbett, Pryor is leaving to pursue other interests. 

"We appreciate [Pryor's] 32 years of service and her contributions to the success of the company," said Longo, who was named as the company's CEO in December 2019. 

"Ben Knighten is a proven leader in multiple companies and multiple industries," he continued. "We look forward to Ben leading his new team to success in delivering on our commitment to a premium consumer experience."

The executive switch up marks the latest change to Hibbett's leadership since the appointment of Scott R. Humphrey as its new interim chief financial officer in September, making him the second executive to take on the role since April 2019.

In November 2019, Hibbett reported a 27% increase in third-quarter sales and saw significant progress in its bottom line, beating out analysts’ predictions. The growth was attributed to the company's acquisition of fellow athletic specialty retailer City Gear in November 2018.