German sportswear giant adidas AG has hired Bjorn Gulden, head of rival Puma, as its new chief executive officer to succeed the departing Kasper Rorsted.
Gulden, who had served as senior vice president of apparel and accessories at adidas in the 1990s before joining Puma, takes up his new position effective January 1, 2023, on a five-year contract. The 57-year-old Norwegian, who has been Puma CEO since 2013, will also be joining the adidas executive board.
“We are very pleased to welcome Bjørn Gulden back at adidas. Bjørn Gulden brings almost 30 years of experience in the sporting goods and footwear industry. As a result, he knows the industry extremely well and draws on a rich network in sport and retail. Bjørn Gulden already served adidas successfully for seven years in the 1990s. As CEO of Puma, he re-invigorated the brand and led the company to record results. The supervisory board of adidas AG is convinced that Bjørn Gulden will head adidas into a new era of strength and is looking very much forward to a successful cooperation,” said Thomas Rabe, chairman of the supervisory board of adidas AG.
Additionally, Gulden has had stints as CEO of Danish jewelry brand Pandora, managing director of Europe’s largest footwear retailer Deichmann, president of Rack Room Shoes, and held various management positions at outdoor apparel company Helly Hansen. He also holds the position of chairman of the Board of Salling Group, Denmark’s largest food retailer.
Gulden was a professional football and handball player. He played football for 1. FC Nürnberg in the German 2. Bundesliga, and for Bryne and Strømsgodset in the Norwegian Premier League and handball for Haslum in Norway’s first league.
