On Nov. 8, the Adidas AG supervisory board announced the successor to its CEO Kasper Rorsted: Bjørn Gulden will be member and chairman of the executive board of Adidas AG, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Rorsted will step down as CEO and leave the company on Nov. 11, 2022. Harm Ohlmeyer, chief financial officer, will lead the company on a transitional basis until Dec. 31. The supervisory board initiated the CEO change on Aug. 22.
Gulden is 57 years old, of Norwegian nationality and has been leading the executive board of Puma SE since 2013. His former employer had only announced on Nov. 4 that Gulden would step down and be succeeded by Arne Freundt from January 2023. In this context, Gulden commented, “I still have a lot of energy and want to continue at least five to ten more years in an operational role, which I think would have been too long for Puma.” On the same day, Adidas admitted it was in negotiations with the departing Puma boss.
From 1992 to 1999, Gulden had already worked at Adidas, including as senior vice president of apparel and accessories. Other professional positions included chairman of the board at Danish jewelry manufacturer Pandora, managing director of Europe’s largest shoe retailer Deichmann, president of Rack Room Shoes and various management positions within the outdoor brand Helly Hansen. He is also chairman of the supervisory board of the Salling Group, Denmark’s largest food retailer. Gulden was a professional soccer and handball player. He played soccer for 1. FC Nürnberg in the 2nd Bundesliga, and in the Norwegian Premier League for Bryne and Strømsgodset. In handball, he played in Norway’s 1st league for Haslum.
During his time as CEO of Puma, Gulden revitalized the brand and led the company to record results. “The Adidas supervisory board is firmly convinced that Bjørn Gulden will lead Adidas into a new era of strength and looks forward to a successful collaboration,” said Thomas Rabe, chairman of the supervisory board. He also thanked outgoing CEO Rorsted on behalf of the company: “We thank Kasper Rorsted for his great achievements. During his tenure since 2016, he has strategically realigned the company and significantly driven the digital transformation of the company. In the world’s largest sporting goods market, North America, Adidas has doubled its sales. Adidas has also reinforced its leadership position in sustainability and increased diversity and participation in the company. Following the successful sale of TaylorMade, CCM Hockey and Reebok, the company can focus on its core Adidas brand.”
In response to Adidas’ announcement, Puma sent a same-day media release stating: “The supervisory board of Puma has decided that Arne Freundt, Puma’s chief commercial officer, will become chairman of the management board and CEO of Puma with immediate effect.”
