EXECUTIVE EXCHANGE: Adidas: How They Created Their nWOW (New Way of Working) Company Culture
In Adidas’ quest to achieve ambitious fiscal and corporate objectives, the organization found that they needed to overcome certain internal obstacles that impeded their progress. As a result, the nWOW (New Way of Working) was developed to help the organization move forward and ensure that they have every clear opportunity for success. The nWOW is built around five key components which are Open & Honest, Fact-Based, Non-Political, Collaborative, and Efficient. These components have been embedded in Adidas’ leadership journey, as well as the Global Initiative within the Group, and transcends all geographies, divisions and affiliate brands. Tate will share how Adidas dealt with this realization of the need for a new way of working, how they are developing initiatives and how these elements have been embedded, from the Board to all levels of the organization, as well as how they are reinforced regularly.
Gregg Tate, SHRM-SCP, GPHR
Gregg is a 25 year veteran of the adidas Group. The global organization of the company consists of 12 markets, doing business in over 190 countries through subsidiaries and joint ventures. They have 46,000 employees worldwide, and approximately 70% of these employees are in the Commercial segment of the company.
Gregg is a Global HR Professional with HR leadership experience on three continents, having lived and worked in the US, Europe and Asia. Currently, he is Sr. Vice President of Human Resources – Commercial, based at Headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. He leads a global department that provides comprehensive HR Business Partner Support to the adidas and Reebok Brands, plus the three (3) global Sales Channels - Wholesale, Retail, eCommerce - supporting the full range of employees from CSO’s and CMO’s to Retail Shop Staff.
Gregg joined the adidas Group in the United States in 1988 as Manager of Distribution and Logistics. In 1990, he became Director of Human Resources for adidas America and held this role until his move to the HQ in 1998.
Prior to adidas, Gregg held Human Resources and Operations Management roles with a US-based Textile manufacturing company.
Gregg is a 1979 graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He holds a Global Professional Human Resources (GPHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and is a frequent speaker on Leadership, Motivation, Employee Engagement and other HR-related topics.