Leadership and development
This is how we lead and develop our talents.
We want to inspire and nurture role model leadership. With specifically designed talent management tools, we identify talents at all levels who have the potential to become future leaders or key players within adidas.
Click here to learn more about our leadership culture on the adidas blog ‘GamePlan A’.
Leadership groups
We have established three groups of selected leaders and talents within the company:
- Core Leadership Group (CLG)
- Extended Leadership Group (ELG)
- Global and Local High Potential Group (GHIPO and LHIPO)
Leadership Development Program
We offer a portfolio of leadership development programs for corporate office employees for all grades and levels:
- Executive Development Experience: We are partnering with Harvard Business School in delivering a tailored learning experience for all of our senior manager population.
- Manager Development Experience (MDE) and Director Development Experience (DDE): To develop current and future leaders, we introduced the MDE as a flexible approach to developing leadership skills and abilities of our lower management level employees. It is inspired by sport and drives the development of personal and team mastery. The DDE is based on the same principles with the Leadership Framework at its core and allows a customizable learning experience for our middle management level employees.
Future Talent Programs
We offer a variety of programs for graduates and undergraduates in our offices worldwide.
- Apprenticeship and Dual Study Program: The adidas Apprenticeship Program offers young pupils who want to join our company directly out of school the opportunity to gain business experience in a two- to three-year rotation program. The Dual Study Program for young school graduates offers – in cooperation with various universities – theoretical and practical experience at adidas.
- Global Trainee Program: The Functional, Digital and Design Trainee Program is an 18- to 24-month program providing graduates with an international background and excellent educational credentials the opportunity to start a functional career within adidas. It comprises assignments in various functional and cross-functional departments, of which at least one takes place abroad.
- Internships: Our global internship program offers students three to six months of work experience within adidas.
Other development opportunities are offered through our internal Learning Campus, access to LinkedIn Learning courses and other learning programs.