Kasper Rorsted: Many companies have sustainability strategies and targets, but sustainability can only become an integral part of peoples daily work if all employees understand the underlying principles. Kasper Rorsted: , am convinced that a visible and accessible leadership style is most e ective My door is open; , encourage colleagues to call me directly Our employees know who , am and what ,m doing , eat with employees in our canteens whenever , am traveling or here at headTuarters <ou cannot run a global company Nationality: Danish Born: 1962 Gender: Male Election period: 2023-2025 Other management duties: Siemens AG, Germany (board member and member of the Innovation Committee) Education: Family for me is more important than the job, he fact, its founder Adi Dassler was the embodiment of an innovator. Adidas suspended the operations of its McKinsey: At the 2013 World Economic Forum, in Davos, you told reporters that the price for high growth is volatility. What are some of the steps Henkel has taken to manage volatility in emerging markets? Toyota Respects Employees According to Liker, Toyota's leadership style emphasizes the importance of respect for its people. Other companies execute sustainability Experience as global CEO and board member in listed international companies in IT, consumer goods and chemicals. 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. One of our values at Henkel is, We put our customers at the center of what we do. We have to understand their needs and wishes and enter into a dialogue with them. A Division of NBCUniversal. 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. We designed it to help us further understand customer behavior in shopping environments. How do you equip your employees to hit the mark, or how do you find people who can make the leap effortlessly? McKinsey: It seems you spend a lot of time talking not only with consumers but also with employees. All rights reserved. Rorsted: Making Henkel even better. Its a space where customers can try out, for instance, new digital tools that let them test hair colorants at the point of sale. what they stand for. In addition, I try not to pass the buck when things arent going well, but to shoulder the responsibility myself. Eisen: Are we going to pay more for it? performance, management successes and innovative solutions. Smith tennis shoes made from a mushroom-based leather. Rrsted served as a senior vice president and general And do we have a successful relationship. In the Middle East, which is one of our growth regions, many women wear veils. 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. We now employ about 47,000 people from more than 120 nations, working in more than 75 countries; over 80 percent of our employees work outside Germany. Our company should reflect the markets in which we operate. Rorsted: Our first step in 2008 was to conduct in-depth benchmarking against our competitors and hold detailed discussions about our goals for the future. We have defined a set of leadership principles and shared them with all our people managers worldwide in a series of workshops. The company employs Rrsted, 60, has been described as a highly successful and competent leader who is empathic, calm and a strategic thinker. Today, 55 percent of our employees are in emerging markets. always come first. We also increasingly recruit cross-border: at international recruitment fairs, we meet highly qualified candidates studying abroad and encourage them to work for Henkel in their home countries. And I was curious as to why you would partner with them and not just do it yourself when they're a competitor. In my opinion, a person who has never failed or made a mistake has probably never taken enough risks. I spoke to him and his wife two weeks ago, of course, like we're speaking today, and they're super excited about us bringing this product into the market in the late summer. Egon Zehnder: As you just mentioned, you travelled the globe for months to present and explain the new corporate values to Henkel employees worldwide. McKinsey: One of your newest product lines is Gliss Restore & Refresh, developed specifically for Middle Eastern women who wear veils. Then we have a full range of HR development tools that can be applied according to the potential of the individual candidate. McKinsey: On the topic of getting the team right, how do you recruit and retain the best peopleespecially in markets where the Henkel brand is not so well known? On the Persil website, for instance, consumers can learn about reducing the water temperature in their washing machines and saving money at the same time, without compromising the superior performance of Persil. We have defined a set of leadership principles and shared them with all our people managers worldwide in a series of workshops. 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. Rrsted said he didnt know when retail operations How do you think about it as far as where it fits in with some of your priorities and your overall business model? Eisen: Is that tricky when you have so many high profile people that you endorse? He wears 10.5-size There were no rules. From 2001 to 2002, Read more Search Egon Zehnder: What do you think of a mandatory quota for women in management the subject of heated debate in Germany? How different is it to be a CEO in 2021 than it was back then? So, I do think that we are getting the credit. But we need to focus on the future. Rorsted looks to improve sales and revenues, by doing so, he takes the feedback from employees and customers and changes it. These challenges are familiar to Kasper Rorsted, who in April 2008 was named CEO of Henkel, the Dsseldorf-based manufacturer of home- and personal-care products and adhesive technologies. So we have to place a higher priority on the recruitment and professional development of managers from Russia, the Middle East, and Asia. Typical questions addressed in the workshops included Who exactly are my customers? and What can I personally do to make things better for them?. Rorsted: No, I think it will and it has to because frankly, the industry is under such scrutiny. But we actually welcome everybody that's taking a step forward. These trends fundamentally change the business environment. Kasper Rorsted Wiki/Biography Kasper Rorsted is a Danish manager who has been the CEO of German sportswear firm Adidas since 2016. Within Europe, there's tension between Europe and Russia. We don't get all things right at the same time, you know, but when we get something wrong, I think we need to recognize we're getting wrong and be fully committed to it. Tell me more about how Henkel came up with that product line. Its leaders shows respect to their employees by protecting their jobs, challenging them, and supporting them in their efforts to improve. What we do need, however, are structures that offer more flexibility to both our male and female employees, for example allowing them to work from home. But this you know, Stan Smith, and our relationship with him is 50 years old, strong as ever. See Kasper B Rorsted's compensation, career history, education, & memberships. manager at Hewlett-Packard from 2002 to 2004, and in various management positions And there are certain elements that are very closely related to sport. Continuity and strong leadership . Rrsted spoke about how the company has a deep and broad mindset of innovation. That's another tricky tightrope that you have to walk when it comes to speaking out against human rights. The page you are currently on does not have a translated version. Egon Zehnder: What values are personally important to you? Discover job vacancies, find out how to apply to them, and learn more about careers at Maersk. Right now we have done a recent survey, 70% of our consumers prefer to buy sustainable products. Egon Zehnder: There is often a large distance to bridge between formulating a set of values and achieving a corporate culture which is an active expression of these values. So I do think that it's important that the industry will and can do this, but somebody's got to take the lead and we want to be the leader in sustainability. he said. Kasper Rorsted confirmed as CEO of adidas for more 5 years. make certain that you correct the mistakes, he said. up next to his 30 other pairs. Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted will remain at the helm. Nike has also made a lot of moves on this front. Currently, e-commerce plays a minor role for us. We are also stepping up our IT investments in order to standardize and accelerate our global processes. Kasper Rorsted: To succeed in the highly competitive consumer-goods environment, we need both a management team that reflects the diversity of markets in which we operate and the innovation capabilities to address a broad range of varying consumer needs. Developing an employer brand takes time. The Supervisory Board of adidas AG has extended the appointment of Chief Executive Officer Kasper Rorsted by another five years until the 31st of July 2026. We are actually one of the most diversified companies in the world if you look upon the share of women, the share of nationalities. Kasper Rorsted: The ShopperLab is a room that recreates the shelves of a real store. and authors in business and industry for informal talks that cover a wide range of Theater as part of the University of South Florida Muma College of Business Thought I dont want to be seen as an administrator, but as an architect. Kasper Rorsted has been a member of the adidas Executive Board since August 2016, and the company's Chief Executive Officer since October 2016. . through July 2026. We can study the impact that product designs have on shelf appearance and occupancy, point-of-sale materials, and the various aspects of buying behavior. Specific areas of the Lighthouse are devoted to topics that are important to us, such as sustainability or digital innovation. Rrsted wore a grey hoodie, jeans, and the beta version of the companys 4D running Not only on diversity, which I have been vocal on I would say since 2004. time, you know, but when we get something wrong, I think we need to recognize were Rorsted: I think there are different challenges at different stages. If you look upon internally, there's a tremendous, I would say, enthusiasm and rallying around what we're doing right now. Our current targets extend to the end of 2012, and we have already started thinking about the period that follows. McKinsey: What are your plans for mature markets? Adidas is the largest sportwear manufacturer in Europe and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, shoes. But that's exactly the same chance as we had with, you know, the ocean plastic Parley shoe when we brought out in 2015. in April. We have a results-driven performance culture. Kasper Rorsted: I would like to share a piece of advice my father gave me many years ago. And I also think it's important that the leading company takes a position and show the way forward. And also being able to build products that are competitive in the way they do. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Continuity and strong leadership are important especially in these times, also in view of the new strategic cycle which will start in 2021." Eisen: When we came up with this panel idea, we really wanted to map out a conversation from a leader in sustainability to talk about how you incorporate that into the business plan and the overall strategy. Nine out of 10 articles will be sustainable by 2025. He focuses on building relationships with his team and even drives them to become a healthier individual. Kasper Rorsted. Rorsted: It was mostly the intellectual challenge of succeeding in a sector of which I had only a rudimentary grasp at the time. His . for 32 years and has four kids. With the value We put our customers at the center of what we do, for example, an executive cannot travel to the U.S. for a workshop and come back without having seen a single customer. Remaining consistent predictable even in our resolve helped us to build trust in the leadership team throughout the entire organization and beyond. The mylo material is created There are certain things that are nonnegotiable, you know, discrimination, hate crime, a child labor, and discriminatory, you simply can't accept that. He travels 170 days a year. Were aiming for growth in both emerging and mature markets. Apple, who made an appearance in 2018. Rorsted, who heads one of the largest athletic wear companies in the world, will be We expect that in 2016, 12 of Henkels 20 highest-revenue countries will be in emerging markets. Anytime we travel, we arrange informal breakfast meetings or roundtables with them. Among its manufacturing innovations, Rrsted mentioned its Futurecraft STRUNG, the And on certain political stances, we simply don't voice our opinion because if that in a global nature, we could be voicing our opinion globally. 2023 CNBC LLC. Our executive management team is already very international, but I see a clear need for improvement at other levels. Rrsted said for the past seven years, the company has produced products with an increasingly After a hiatus of several months, on April 1, 2005 Rorsted joined the Management Board of Henkel, a Dsseldorf-based company. If the internal processes dont align, if we arent offering our young people the right development opportunities regardless of their gender, then a quota wont fix the problem. My door is open; I encourage colleagues to call me directly. For a very long time, Stella McCartney said we're going to make a non-leather Stan Smith shoe. Our global leadership team is aware that they will be assessed on the basis of their leadership conduct. To date, we have trained more than 1,300 sustainability ambassadors, and more than 6,700 children in 23 countries have attended a sustainability session. Center on the Tampa campus. I believe this is the most important challenge. Rorsted: There can be a number of reasons. Q. In the future, we want fewer but larger manufacturing sites and a reduced number of global suppliers. You were constantly understaffed. So the workshops were always moderated by the immediate supervisor, who in the end is responsible for implementing the measures. who will ask questions to steer the discourse of the Q&A-style discussion. a no-win proposition for everybody, he said. adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted At a Glance The CEO score provides an understanding of how employees feel about the CEO's leadership style and effectiveness at adidas. And for them, it's a very important, you know, criteria. Strong competencies in digital transformation, leadership development, sustainability, and global business trends. The majority of consumers in the personal-care sector are female, so why should our products be developed and marketed by men? We put very aggressive targets in place for sustainability. They are making sneakers from recycled materials, making products that are And I think the consumer says that we are resonating more and more, you know, a lot of our consumers are very young consumers. Do consumers really want this? It is also extremely important to follow through on any personal commitments we make regarding career or other professional development opportunities. And as long as we can deliver a product that doesn't compromise on performance or price to the consumer, eventually the consumer will be very open. Not for this quarter thatll soon be over. He has been at the helm of the global sportswear giant since 2016. Thank you for letting me in. Rorsted. You are here as a temporary employee. You've been putting ocean plastics in your shoes since 2015, have a whole new set of ambitious announcements. There are no human winners in this game. Weve increased our talent development efforts through collaboration with Harvard and other universities, for example. And we see that as an integral part of our new strategy for 2025. Rorsted: If we look, we really see sustainability being an integral part of our business model. Adidas shares have lost about 37% in value this year, ranking them among the worst performers on the 50-member Euro Stoxx 50 Index. I think this mindset is the key to success. Of course, very vocal on some of the racial issues around George Floyd. Is that your call? Rrsted, 60, has been described as a highly successful and competent leader who is