Born February 24, 1962, in Aarhus, Denmark, Earned a degree in economics from Copenhagen Business School, Participated in executive programs at Harvard Business School, Serves on the boards of international media conglomerate Bertelsmann and Denmark-based industrial company Danfoss. And I was curious as to why you would partner with them and not just do it yourself when they're a competitor. humanitarian aid to refugees and childrens charities, as well as supporting employees So how do you deal with that, which is even tougher in some ways? Nevertheless, digital and social media have a great influence on how consumers see our products, so were focusing on using the Internet and social media to engage customers. manager at Hewlett-Packard from 2002 to 2004, and in various management positions And I think it's so fundamental for companies to really help innovate and find solutions that address the environment, not to be disrupted for the future. He wears 10.5-size But in order to do this, they need to know and understand our strategy. Making it clear to everyone that we dont want to discard company traditions, that we value them, but at the same time that we need to break new ground was a major challenge, not only for me, but for the entire Management Board. Egon Zehnder: Is transforming a companys culture primarily a question of communication, then? In 2018 he won the German Image Award, an honor that praises the top CEO for their And I believe over time, it will be a very, very important criteria, and it is today. Discover job vacancies, find out how to apply to them, and learn more about careers at Maersk. And today we're making pretty much the same margin on this one as on a normal shoe. Dark wood, sandstone, muted light seeping in through the glass ceiling, an almost meditative silence when you enter the reception area of Henkel headquarters in Dsseldorf-Holthausen, you intuitively lower your voice and slow your pace. You did face a bit of a reckoning on the race issue at Adidas. Egon Zehnder: What values are personally important to you? manufacturer Henkel. When formulating the values, we had to avoid the temptation, whether conscious or unconscious, to leave a back door open. Rorsted: I think over time, you get the credit that you deserve. Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted will remain at the helm. And that's why we also making collaborations, as you said before, even with competitors of ours. Adidas CEO Kasper Rrsted, 60, leads one of the largest and oldest athletic wear companies in the world. to be the best sports brand in the world and to do it sustainably. Keeping our eye on these strategic priorities, we were then able to set ambitious financial targets and reformulate the Henkel values. Adidas suspended the operations of its In the difficult economic environment of 2008 and 2009, it was also particularly challenging to work on developing new corporate values and vision while at the same time focusing on steering the company through the crisis. announced that he is not running for re-election and is stepping down from that role Continuity and strong leadership . And I think the consumer says that we are resonating more and more, you know, a lot of our consumers are very young consumers. Second, [we have] a relentless . Adidas is the largest sportwear manufacturer in Europe and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Based on 419 ratings, Kasper Rorsted ranks right below Callaway Golf's CEO, Oliver Brewer III. And there are certain elements that are very closely related to sport. If you take the first recyclable shoe made out of ocean plastic, when we announced this shoe, of course, from a price point, it was not very competitive, you know, because the costs were very high. If you look upon internally, there's a tremendous, I would say, enthusiasm and rallying around what we're doing right now. Brown shoes have Not for this quarter thatll soon be over. Kasper Rorsted is married and has four children. The athletic giant announced today Kasper Rorsted, the . Tampa | St. Petersburg | Sarasota-Manatee. In his early career, Rorstedt worked with Oracle, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Compaq. Kasper Rorsted, who has been Adidas CEO since 2016, will step down sometime next year, and the search for his replacement has begun, the sports footwear and apparel brand said Monday. And we've also seen that, you know, consumers while they say they're willing to pay for sustainability, eventually, they want to pay the same for sustainable products on unsustainable products. But we actually welcome everybody that's taking a step forward. For me, I have the greatest job in the world., On his favorite job, aside from his current one, he said he loved working at Compaq. Speed is the challenge, and the key question is, how can we as a global company simplify our operations with a strong IT focus? He told me, If you do something, do it with your full heart and do it properly. But there was also the fact that I found Henkel fascinating as a company. From zero to hero and back again it was all possible in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, I am certain that if I were to tell our managers tomorrow that no changes would take place at Henkel for the next three years, no one would believe me. Where do individual employees currently stand in terms of performance, and where do we see their potential? The turnover rate in China is around 25 percent. At USF, the athletics department is in the fourth year of an eight-year partnership Rrsted started In addition, the entire Henkel Management Board knows our top 300 or 400 people personally and knows where in the world they are working. If you're a global company, you cannot have a political opinion about every political system in the world, in my opinion. Everything from how you interact in political issues to how well you take care of your employees, diversity and inclusion. This is only the beginning, but the impact plastic has on our global environment I think that part of the reason is social media is bringing a transparency and also a news flow out that was never there before. Since 2018, Rrsted has served on the board of directors at Nestl, but the company We are seeing more volatility and have to constantly adapt. Video. Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted will remain at the helm. Innovation is what our company is about. We need reliable childcare solutions that allow both parents to work at the same time if they so choose. His favorite app 365 Dream performance, management successes and innovative solutions. Rrsted wore a grey hoodie, jeans, and the beta version of the companys 4D running One significant advantage we enjoy at Henkel is the first-rate, highly competent supervisory bodies which were involved in our decision-making from the beginning and fully supported the change process. shoes that feature a 3D-printed midsole. His presentation is scheduled for March 31 at the Oval Theater in USFs Marshall Student It's obviously such an important growth market for you, what 25% of the business, at least. Member of the Board of Directors, the Nomination Committee, and the ESG Committee. Egon Zehnder: What do you think of a mandatory quota for women in management the subject of heated debate in Germany? deal with Adidas. stores and e-commerce site in Russia. How would you characterize that change? Eisen: Are we going to pay more for it? Rrsted started The mylo material is created The surprising break came in 2004, when HP CEO Carly Fiorina, herself under enormous pressure, fired him by telephone during a family vacation. And that's where the industry has to go. procurement, IT, and infrastructure services. You have to lead with innovation in sport, he said. Specific areas of the Lighthouse are devoted to topics that are important to us, such as sustainability or digital innovation. and authors in business and industry for informal talks that cover a wide range of Kasper Rorsted: Thats right. This is always come first. Tough choices for consumer-goods companies, Reshaping retail: A conversation with Ahold CEO Dick Boer, Developing winning products for emerging markets, Perspectives on retail and consumer goods, Vice chairman of the management board (200708), Executive vice president of HR, purchasing, IT, and infrastructure services (200507), Senior vice president and general manager, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) (200204), Vice president and general manager, EMEA (200102), Various management positions, including head of EMEA enterprise business group (19952001). Rorsted: We tried to create a completely transparent approach to future corporate development and we defined very clear targets. In 2010 we held almost 5,000 workshops in which I participated personally as often as I could to communicate our vision, values, and targets to all our employees around the globe. This is especially important because as much as 70 percent of the ecological footprint of our detergent products is generated during their use phase. To reserve That was when the financial crisis was around. He also So I think there's going to be a great demand for this product. Our global leadership team is aware that they will be assessed on the basis of their leadership conduct. 50 countries. Egon Zehnder: After a career devoted solely to IT, at the age of 42 you decided to change industries. our products, and if theyre not wearing them, were building our products wrong, This website is maintained by Muma College of Business. We need to help more women develop the skills they need for management positions. He retained this position following Compaqs takeover by Hewlett-Packard (HP). strategy. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Kasper Rorsted: Mature markets will remain important for us. But, for example, if China is going to be one of our three most important global markets in 2015, do we have people on the ground who can really get things done? Why havent other firms been as successful? Kasper Rorsted, head of the global manufacturer since 2008, discusses the companys growth plans, what it takes to hire good people, and how he fosters dialogue with customers and employees. Anytime we travel, we arrange informal breakfast meetings or roundtables with them. But that's exactly the same chance as we had with, you know, the ocean plastic Parley shoe when we brought out in 2015. And in America, we went out when it came to race and I realized along with the rest of the leadership, we need to take steps. We meet customer needs from one end of the supply chain to the other. That was not the case in 2015. And we use Parley for ocean plastic. If you continue, you will be taken to the alternate language home page. With the assistance of two Harvard Business School professors, in 2009 we asked ourselves what it would take to implement our goals and our strategy. Rorsted: I think there are different challenges at different stages. Kasper Rorsted: Large, international corporations tend to become complex organizations, which makes them inflexible. It has been and will continue to be a super important market for us. Kim Ross, a USF Muma College of Business alumna who sits on the colleges Executive He has been at the helm of the global sportswear giant since 2016. Do consumers really want this? He runs and plays tennis to keep in shape and is an enthusiastic skier. This website is maintained by Muma College of Business. Everything here exudes tradition, dignity, and a spirit that seems to draw its strength from the stillness. It drives transparency to ensure that you need to do what you're doing. 62,000 worldwide, with 2,100 retail stores in over 50 countries. We are constantly adapting our structures to become faster and more flexible. There are certain things that are nonnegotiable, you know, discrimination, hate crime, a child labor, and discriminatory, you simply can't accept that. A January 2020 profile by the German newspaper Bild offered some interesting tidbits into his routine.