Jan Runau, Adidas’ chief corporate communication officer since 2006, announced his retirement via a message on his LinkedIn page.
Runau began working for Adidas as a PR manager in Germany. His post reads as follows:
Hi all,
Today, I have an important announcement to make. After 33 years of service, I will be ending the active part of my career at Adidas on December 31, 2024.
When I started at Adidas in August 1991 as PR Manager in Germany, I had no idea what my job would be like. Would I now be traveling the world with Adidas star Steffi Graf and lead her press conferences? Would I be filling the world’s big stadiums and halls together with Adidas?
Well, the beginnings were more modest with an event for basketball journalists at the Adidas Sport Hotel in Herzogenaurach. The events got bigger from there. My job took me to the Olympic Games for the first time in 1992 already, even twice, to Albertville and Barcelona, and every year thereafter to other fantastic sporting events all over the world.
After a very short stint at Hugo Boss, I was responsible for Corporate Communications at Adidas from August 2000, first as Head of Corporate and Global PR, then as Head of Corporate Communications and was part of the Adidas management team.
2024 was a fantastic year for sport: the European Football Championships in Germany, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, the 75th birthday of Adidas, the Adidas turnaround in full swing – these were events that cannot be repeated quickly. So now is the time to let go of the job that has always been more of a passion than a profession for me and that has shaped my life and the life of my family for over three decades – with all its pros and cons.
I look back with gratitude on a great time, priceless moments and wonderful friendships. I am handing over a fabulous leadership team with
Kirsten Keck (Internal Communications), Claudia Lange (External Communications), Oliver Brüggen (PR Central), Caitlin Albaugh (North America), Eva Bauer (Europe), Rachel Lim-Nathan Lim (Emerging Markets), Marina Wu (China) and Santiago Nieto Gómez Nieto (Latin America) to my successor Sebastian Steffen (Investor Relations & Corporate Communications). Please continue to place your trust in this great team.
I’m excited about the future. Of course, spending even more time with my family and friends, playing sport and coaching tennis for kids are at the top of the agenda. And then there is the family foundation “Familie-Runau-Stiftung“, which supports socially disadvantaged children and young people through sports and educational programs, there is the MBA of sports management in Bayreuth to complete, and there’s more to come.
In the coming weeks and months, I plan to share key moments, learnings, relationships and projects about communication, sports and leadership here on LinkedIn. So please stay tuned! Thank you!
Image courtesy Jan Runau
