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Adidas North America Taps Rupert Campbell as New President, Zion Armstrong to Exit

Adidas is undergoing a leadership change in North America.

In tandem with its strong earnings report today, the German athletic giant said it has appointed Rupert Campbell as the president of its North American business, effective Jan. 1, 2022. Campbell will succeed Zion Armstrong, who has been in the role in July 2018.

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Campbell, 54, will oversee all Adidas operations in the United States and Canada, the company said in a statement, and report to Roland Auschel, Adidas AG executive board member who is responsible for global sales.

Campbell has been with Adidas since 2012, when he joined the company as its retail director market north. He would then serve as SVP of retail in Europe from 2013 to 2015, and in 2018 he was appointed to the managing director of Russia/CIS role. In a statement, Adidas said the company increased its market leadership in the Russia/CIS region and recorded double-digit sales growth under Campbell’s leadership.

“We are excited to appoint Rupert as our new president of Adidas North America. He has successfully led our Russian/CIS business, growing sales and gaining market share,” Auschel said in a statement. “With his vast experience in sports and compassionate leadership style, Rupert will further expand our market position in North America. Together with the team, he will implement our ‘Own the Game’ strategy with excellence in the largest sporting goods market in the world.”

Adidas said Armstrong, 46, is departing the company at year’s end to return his New Zealand home to be with his family, who have lived there since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He has been with Adidas since 1998, first assuming the product manager of footwear role in New Zealand. From there, Armstrong assumed several leadership roles, including brand manager for Adidas North America in 2014, eventually landing the Adidas North America president position. The company said sales in the market doubled between 2015 and 2020 during his tenure.

“We would like to congratulate Zion for his remarkable career at Adidas and thank him for his many contributions to our success over the last 23 years,” Auschel said in a statement. “Together with his team, he has built a strong foundation for us in North America by doubling sales and securing Adidas a strong position as the second largest brand in the market.”

Campbell and Armstrong will work together on the transition in the coming months.

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