Bjrn Gulden has been selected as the next Chief Executive Officer of the German sportswear company Adidas. Gulden, who previously served as Puma’s CEO, will succeed Kasper Rorsted. He will take over as CEO of Adidas AG in January 2023. Kasper Rorsted, Adidas’ CEO since 2016, chose to depart the company in August 2022 and will formally resign on November 11, 2022. Harm Ohlmeyer, Chief Financial Officer, will lead the label until January 2023. Following that, Gulden will take over as CEO of the firm.
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Bjrn Gulden, Adidas’ new CEO, formerly worked for rival sportswear company Puma.
Bjrn was born on June 4, 1965, to Arild Gulden, a former international handball and football player. He has been the CEO of Puma since 2013, after working as the Senior Vice President of Apparel and Accessories at Adidas from 1992 to 1999. Gulden was also the CEO of the Danish jewelry company Pandora in 2012. From 2000 until 2011, he was the Managing Director of Deichmann, Europe’s biggest footwear store, where he oversaw companies such as Off Broadway Shoes and Rack Room Shoes.
Prior to 2000, he had many executive roles at the outdoor clothing manufacturer Helly Hansen. Gulden, like his father, was a professional handball and football player. He played football for FC Nürnberg in Germany and for the Norwegian Premier League’s Bundesliga. He also played handball for Haslum in Norway’s top division. Thomas Rabe, Chairman of Adidas’ Supervisory Board, announced Bjrn Gulden’s arrival in an official press statement, stating:
“We are delighted to welcome Bjrn Gulden back to Adidas.” Bjrn Gulden has over 30 years of expertise in the athletic products and footwear industries. As a consequence, he is well knowledgeable about the sector and has a vast network in sports and retail.”
Rabe went on to discuss the latter’s accomplishments at Puma, saying:
“In the 1990s, Bjrn Gulden served Adidas effectively for seven years.” He revitalized the Puma brand and led the firm to record profits as CEO. The Adidas AG Supervisory Board is confident that Bjrn Gulden will lead Adidas into a new age of strength and looks forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
In addition to being a professional athlete, Gulden studied Business Administration in Norway and earned an MBA at the Babson Graduate School of Business in Boston, Massachusetts. Gulden speaks many languages, including English, German, and Norwegian.
