adidas America President & CEO STEVE WYNNE has decided
to leave the company, but will remain until a successor is
named. Meanwhile, adidas-Salomon Deputy Chair of the Board
HERBERT HAINER, who is responsible for Region Europe and
Region Asia/Pacific, will assume temporary additional
responsibility for Region America (adidas). In Portland,
Jeff Manning reported that Wynne joined adidas in '95 with
the "personal goal" of helping build the brand to "a strong
No. 2" behind Nike, a status adidas has "attained." Wynne:
"When you join a company, you have to have some idea of what
you can contribute. When you think you've made your
contribution, it's time to move on." Manning wrote that
under Wynne, adidas "more than tripled" its apparel sales,
began a move from Beaverton, OR, to North Portland, OR, and
inked deals with the Yankees, Lakers G Kobe Bryant, the NFL
and "several" universities (Portland OREGONIAN, 1/12).
OTHER FALL-OUT AT ADIDAS: Manning reported that other
moves at adidas-Salomon include the resignations of CFO DEAN
HAWKINS in December and the departure of Head of Global
Marketing JAN VALDMAA, which was announced Tuesday. Industry
observers "expect" that adidas-Salomon Chair & CFO ROBERT
LOUIS-DREYFUS may leave adidas as well, "perhaps" after the
2000 Olympics. Manning wrote that the executive departures
"don't indicate a looming disaster" at adidas, because "like
most companies," they have been hurt "by stagnant demand,
particularly on the apparel side." Goldman Sachs analyst
MARGARET MAGER, on the management changes: "It's definitely
a changing of the guard, the beginning of a new era"
(OREGONIAN, 1/12). AD AGE reports that ERICH STAMMINGER
will take over Valdmaa's marketing position. Stamminger was
head of marketing for Europe and Asia/Pacific with Hainer,
and will now have "sole responsibility" in those areas, in
addition to his temporary role in America (AD AGE, 1/13).
