At a meeting Wednesday, the Adidas AG supervisory board extended Herbert Hainer’s contract and also his mandate as CEO of Adidas AG by another two years beyond 2015 until March 2017. Hainer has been CEO of Adidas AG since March 2001.

“Under Herbert Hainer’s leadership, the Adidas Group has developed exceptionally well in the past 13 years,” said Igor Landau, chairman of the supervisory board of Adidas AG which is locked in a battle with Nike Inc. for global supremacy in the athletic space. “Since his appointment as CEO in March 2001, the value of the company has increased more than fivefold. I am delighted that Herbert Hainer has extended his contract as CEO of the Adidas Group. In light of his extremely successful performance we would have liked to tie him to the company for an even longer period. We are convinced that Herbert Hainer will continue to drive the company‘s success on its growth path.”

“At the same time, today’s decision gives us sufficient time to ensure a smooth transition at the helm of the Adidas Group and to optimally facilitate the process of succession for the company. In the coming years, together with Herbert Hainer, we will continue to pursue the generation change which has already been initiated within the Group’s management team, thus preparing the company for the next era of success. The Adidas Group management team already ranks among the most international of  all DAX-30 companies,” Igor Landau continued.