Adidas’s New CEO Shows Good Form

‘Transition year’ for company is off to a solid start

Adidas Chief Executive Bjørn Gulden joined in January after the company suffered some major injuries. Photo: Marco Rosi/Getty Images

Adidas’s new chief executive officer, Bjørn Gulden, can’t quite hit the ground running yet, but his first move—setting a low bar—is turning out to be a pretty solid strategy for the company’s stock.

These are still early days for the new CEO, who joined in January after the company suffered some major injuries: The fallout with Chinese consumers in 2021 from a dust-up over Xinjiang forced-labor allegations, and then a breakup with Kanye West last year. Mr. Gulden called 2023 a year of transition before the company can hit its stride again. One key goal is to reduce inventories—especially the piles of Yeezy products that Adidas has left over from its terminated partnership with Mr. West—and to lower discounts.

What's News

Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Continue reading your article with
a WSJ subscription

Subscribe Now

Already a subscriber? Sign In

Sponsored Offers
  • AT&T:
    Get a $50 reward card using this AT&T promo code
  • Walmart:
    20% off your order with Walmart promo code
  • Best Buy:
    Deal of the Day! Claim as much as 50% off - Best Buy coupon
  • eBay:
    30% off eBay coupon
  • Groupon:
    Exclusive Groupon Promo Code - 30% Off Local Experiences
  • Samsung:
    Samsung promo code - Up to 40% off + free shipping