On Sunday, October 19, Erick Haskell was spotted at the Bangalore Marathon. A marathoner himself, Haskell was a ‘pacer’ for part of the marathon. A couple of days later, comes the news that Haskell has quit the Adidas group in India as its Managing Director to take on a new career opportunity. He will be replaced by Dave Thomas, a 16-year veteran of the sports gear major.

Thomas, says a press release, will report to Osman Ayaz, MD, Emerging Markets, Adidas group. Thomas has been with Adidas since February 1998.  He has held sales and marketing roles in his native Australia, at the Group’s HQ in Germany and in Hong Kong.  His most recent assignments have had him in Japan from January 2008 until year-end 2013. Since January 2014, Thomas has been the brand director for Adidas Emerging Markets, based in Dubai, where he has been driving the Adidas brand and business in West Asia, Africa and Turkey.

On a high note

Haskell leaves Adidas India on a high note with both its brands — the other being Reebok, which it took over a few years ago — having a lion’s share of the market. Both brands have seen high double-digit growth. In a recent interview with BusinessLine , an upbeat Haskell had said: “I’m lucky to be in this business as India is at a very nascent stage and demographically well set to grow. And there is an increasing awareness of health and fitness which will help my industry.” 

Haskell began his Adidas career with Adidas China in 2007. He came to India in November 2012, at a critical time for the footwear maker. At that time, Adidas AG had said that commercial irregularities in the Reebok brand in India had led to a pre-tax hit of  ₹870 crore. Following a financial fraud it unearthed at the company, it undertook a restructuring programme wherein it moved from a minimum guarantee to a cash-and-carry model. It shut over 400 stores and offered voluntary retirement to 200 employees.

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