Sports brand adidas appoints new Chief Officers

26 May '09

2 min read

Following the strategy to bring the adidas Group's brands and products even closer to the consumers, the Group announces new Chief Officers for Sales and Retail responsible for both adidas and Reebok. Effective July 1, 2009, Roland Auschel will assume the role of Chief Sales Officer. Michael Stanier joined the adidas Group as Chief Retail Officer on May 15, 2009. As previously announced,the adidas Group will no longer operate regional headquarters in Europe and Asia. Instead, it will strengthen the direct interaction between the global organisation and the local markets.

Under the leadership of Michael Stanier all global responsibility for own retail will be bundled in order to ensure a coherent approach across all markets. Michael Stanier and his team are charged with maximising growth, profitability and consumer experience of own retail. With over € 1.8 billion in own retail sales in 2008, the adidas Group is on a growth path that will make it one of the top 250 global retailers in the medium term. Michael Stanier draws on a wealth of experience in international retail having worked in leadership roles at Marks & Spencer, Timberland and most recently GAP.

In his new role, Roland Auschel, currently Head of Region Europe/Middle East/Africa, will direct and drive all local organisations to achieve operational targets through the development and implementation of state-of-the-art commercial strategies, balanced channel approaches and strong local trade development. The adidas Group Managing Directors on a local market level will report into Roland Auschel. Due to their strategic and financial importance, adidas America, Greater China and Russia/CIS will report directly into Erich Stamminger, President of the adidas brand.

Roland Auschel and Michael Stanier will both report directly into Erich Stamminger. For the Reebok part of the business, both will also report functionally into Uli Becker, President of the Reebok brand.

“The new structure will get us closer to our consumer and accelerate our speed to market significantly, making our organisation faster, more effective and more flexible, “ said Herbert Hainer, CEO and Chairman of the adidas Group. “At the same time, it will strengthen the consistency of our brand messages globally by empowering a direct working relationship between global brand and marketing management on the one end and local markets on the other end.”

adidas Group

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