Adidas North America Appoints Rupert Campbell as President

Effective January 1st, 2022, Rupert Campbell will step into the shoes of Adidas North America President Zion Armstrong. ‘We’re excited to appoint Rupert [to this position]’, said Roland Auschel, Adidas AG Executive Board Member. ‘He successfully led our Russian/CIS business, growing sales and gaining market share. With his vast experience in sports and compassionate leadership style, Rupert will further expand our market position in North America’. 

Why the Move? 

Zion Armstrong is moving to New Zealand to be with his family, as they’ve been living there since the start of the pandemic. ‘We’d like to congratulate Zion for his remarkable career at Adidas’, said Auschel. ‘He’s built a strong foundation by doubling sales and securing Adidas a strong position as the second-largest brand in the market’. 

Now, Campbell is more than equipped to follow suit. He and Armstrong will work together over the next five months to make it a smooth transition. Campbell has been with the company since 2012 when he joined as a retail director. Since then, he’s moved up to roles as SVP of European Retail, Managing Director of Russia/CIS, and now, Adidas’s new President of North America. 

What Now?

In Q2 of 2021, Adidas’s net global income reached €387mn. ‘Sports took back centre stage this summer’, said CEO Kasper Rorsted. ‘Driven by the strength of our brand and better-than-expected demand for products, we saw an acceleration in our top and bottom line. Sales in our strategic growth markets in EMEA and North America almost doubled’. 

Campbell will now be expected to continue that trend. But he’s starting off in a good position. In the next five years, Adidas’s global e-commerce business is forecast to double to between €8bn and €9bn. In addition, Adidas’s ‘Own the Game’ strategy will champion female athletes, direct-to-consumer commerce, membership programmes, sustainability, and innovations in sportswear. ‘By 2025, Adidas will be stronger, more sustainable, and more digital than ever’, said Kasper Rorsted. Added Auschel: ‘Rupert will implement our ‘Own the Game’ strategy with excellence’.