Björn Gulden
CEO
"I am delighted to have a real justice advocate and fellow athlete to serve alongside me and to steer this company on a righteous path. Our consumers can be more confident than ever that they are getting the best in every sense of the word."
Björn Gulden assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2023, moving from the same position at PUMA which he held for the previous decade. In many ways Gulden is returning to the adidas family, having been at adidas in the late 1990s, where he was Senior Vice President of Apparel and Accessories. He holds an MBA from Babson Graduate School of Business (Boston, USA). As a former football professional, Gulden played for 1. FC Nürnberg in the German Bundesliga (Federal League) in 1984/1985. Gulden was born in 1965 in Zurich, Switzerland, and is of Norwegian citizenship. The passionate sportsman is married, with three children.
Vay Ya Nak Phoan
CO-CEO
"I know what it takes to fight for a good win," said Phoan. "I am prepared to transform adidas from being a company with good products to a company that also does good."
Vay Ya Nak Phoan began her career as a garment worker in the adidas supply chain in her native Cambodia. Appalled by unsafe working conditions and wage theft, she has since served as a union leader and journalist. She is credited for helping uncover over a dozen scandals related to supply chain shortcomings, like the use of Uyghur slave labour in China and wage theft by companies like adidas during covid. Phoan, like Gulden, is also a high-level athlete, having played Sepak Takraw (Kick-Volleyball) on the international stage. She is also a master of Bokator (translates to "pounding a lion"), having learned the ancient Khmer martial art from her grandfather while in hiding from the Khmer Rouge. In 2023, Vay Ya Nak Phoan was appointed Co-CEO responsible for ethics and labor relations.
