GoKawiilAdidas CEO Bjørn Gulden credits ousting 'no-sayers' for company turnaround
Speaking at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden explained that removing executives and managers who habitually blocked new ideas was central to reviving the company after a difficult stretch. He framed this cultural shift in leadership as the main driver behind Adidas's recent recovery.
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Adidas has been working to rebound from supply chain issues, the fallout of the Kanye West partnership collapse, and slowing sales, so leadership commentary on what fixed things offers insight for other struggling consumer brands. Gulden's emphasis on culture over product or marketing strategy signals that internal decision-making speed and openness to risk may matter as much as design or advertising in a turnaround.
- Gulden attributes Adidas's turnaround largely to changing internal culture, not just products.
- He specifically targeted removing 'no-sayers' who resisted new initiatives.
- The comments were made publicly at a major innovation conference, framing it as a leadership case study.
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Published there as: “Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden says this key strategy turned the company around”
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