31 Mar Adidas Steps Up Recruiting Efforts in Portland
Adidas is in the midst of its largest recruiting effort ever in Portland, OR to support the brand’s continued growth in the United States. During the fourth quarter of 2015, Adidas grew 12 percent in North America and announced the expansion of its North American headquarters.
An Adidas spokesperson said the Portland office has approximately 1,200 employees, up from approximately 850 last year. It expects to increase its employee base by more than 10 percent this year, she said.
“Something special is happening right here, right now,” said Mark King, president of Adidas Group North America. “There is a movement happening with Adidas. Our business is growing because we are challenging traditional models, experimenting with new ideas and moving with speed to lead change for the industry.”
In a unique move, but true to King’s charismatic personality, King posted a video to his LinkedIn page inviting innovative, passionate people who want to take risks and lead change to join the brand.
“We want people who think differently, who want to break rules, who want to be disruptive, who want to find new ways to do things,” said King. “All of the talent isn’t at the top of the organization. The talent is company-wide. If you want to work here, you have to have big dreams. You have to believe that you can change, not only the trajectory of a company, but the trajectory of an industry. We’re looking for people with passion and excitement who want to make a difference not only at the company, but in the world.”
At the brand’s North American headquarters in Portland, Ore., Adidas is recruiting talent in merchandising, visual merchandising, brand activation, range architecture, design, sales, ecommerce, operations and leadership.
“There’s only one thing that allows a company to sustain success for a long period of time, and that’s the quality of people that you have,” said King. “We’re challenging everything old and moving with speed to create the most innovative, high-performing products for athletes. We’re investing in our people and rewarding innovative thinking. Everyone here has the ability to contribute to the success of our company’s future. When we harness the potential of our people, we can reach our greatness and deliver outstanding results.”