DECATHLON's founders: the gang of Michel Leclercq

Michel Leclercq surrounds himself with 6 teammates, which he recruits within a week. Didier Decramer, Stéphane Delesalle, Nicolas Dubrulle, Stanislas Ernoult, Hervé Valentin, Benoit Poizat and Michel Leclercq form a motivated team. Even if some are inexperienced in the retailing sector, they've got two things in common: determination and passion for sport. When they are not working, they do sports together: football, skiing, cycling, sailing, field hockey and plenty of other sports!

No rules are set out. Everything has to be built from scratch, and the new teammates are the builders. They started with a blank sheet of paper when thinking through DECATHLON's strategy. Michel Leclercq trusts them, giving them free rein to take initiative. What matters is their drive, regardless of their lack of retail experience. It's an innovative style of management, built on trust, that's still part of our DNA.

Some of the founders: Didier, Stéphane, Hervé, Benoit, Stanislas, Michel. Nicolas isn't in the picture.

If DECATHLON were a colour?
I would spontaneously say blue. Why the blue we chose? Because it was a pure blue, a process blue. We weren't going to say ‘blue with a bit of green, with a bit of... no. A process blue.

If DECATHLON was a car?
In 76, I would have said a Rancho, a Simca loisirs, a bit off-road... Today it would be a Mehari. A multi-purpose car that can be used for outdoor activities.

If DECATHLON were a book?
A book by Stéphane de Groodt, which shows that we had fun playing, just as Stéphane de Groodt's books are full of puns. It's not everyone's pleasure, but it's the game... Just as we didn't take the company seriously.

If DECATHLON were a product?
A bike. Because it's through bicycles that this company has developed its brand. And it's the whole adventure that followed. It is thanks to the bicycle, perhaps, that DECATHLON is what it is today.