Rorsted credited Armstrong for making sustainable success in America possibleGETTY IMAGES
New Adidas North America President ZION ARMSTRONG is filling the shoes of MARK KING, who "stepped down after a highly successful run" with the company, and Adidas CEO KASPER RORSTED came over from Germany to "help introduce Armstrong to the outside world," according to Jeff Manning of the Portland OREGONIAN. Rorsted said, "Zion and Mark have been in place for four years now. They've done an exceptional job. They've really for the first time made a sustainable success in America, which is important for us because that's really the one market in the world where we're not up to par with our big competitor (Nike) on the other side of town." He added that the two "brought an understanding of the American sports market that we didn't have." Rorsted: "They brought an Americanization into the company to make sure we address the American consumer in the right way. And they brought a culture and a camaraderie into our company where people understood it was important to win, but it was important to win together." Asked how he plans to maintain Adidas' momentum, Armstrong said, "The plan that got us here today is the same plan that will drive us forward. ... But even with all the growth, we're not happy with our market position." He said, "We'll continue to make strategic choices around our key sports. Four years ago, we had 19 NFL players. Today we have 206. We had 35 in the last draft. In Major League Baseball, we have 19 percent. Our basketball stable is the best it's ever been with James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Joel Embiid." Asked about Nike's corporate response to its recent internal issues, Rorsted said, "Setting a very clear tone from the top of what is acceptable behavior is actually the best way of governing an organization. Being clear about it, being transparent about what happens if somebody violates the cultural elements of who you want to be." Asked if he has had internal talks at Adidas amid Nike's issues Rorsted said, "I can't comment about what's going on at Nike. One must always to look into a mirror at your own face and ask yourself, 'Are we treating people appropriately?' Armstrong responded, "We were one of the only corporations to join 'Lean-In' to promote the gender pay gap. Here on a local level, we've closed the gender pay gap. We've worked to promote consumers' understanding that there is a gender pay gap" (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/20).
