Employees
At the adidas Group, we know that our people are crucial to our
success. Becoming the global leader in the sporting goods industry
depends on the performance, potential, enthusiasm and dedication of our
employees. The way we reward our staff has to be fair and related to
Group and individual achievements. We aim to develop our employees with
opportunities for career progression, while striving to promote a
culture that celebrates our diversity, promotes global mobility and
helps our staff achieve a healthy worklife balance. adidas Group
employees have a responsibility to adhere to our employee code of
conduct; and as employers we have a responsibility to ensure their
health and safety at work.
Number of Employees1)
Reebok Consolidation Drives Employee Growth
At December 31, 2006, the Group employed 26,376 people, which
represents an increase of 66% versus the previous year’s level of
15,935. This strong growth is mainly related to the acquisition of
Reebok. In addition, new employees were primarily added in adidas
own-retail activities as well as at adidas in Asia. The Group excluding
Reebok employed 18,821 people at year-end. Personnel expenses increased
54% to € 1.087 billion in 2006 from € 706 million in 2005 (see Note 26),
representing 29% of the Group’s total operating expenses (2005: 28%).
Personnel expenses for the Group excluding Reebok increased 13% to €
800 million.
Workforce Spread around the Globe
Our employees work at more than 150 locations around the world. In
2006, 42% of our staff were employed in Europe (2005: 50% excluding
Reebok), 35% in North America (2005: 22% excluding Reebok), 19% in Asia
(2005: 24% excluding Reebok) and 4% in Latin America (2005: 5%
excluding Reebok). The strong growth in the number of employees in
North America was attributable to the acquisition of Reebok, where the
majority of the workforce is US-based.
