Adidas Global Basketball GM Eric Wise Leaves Company After Nearly 9 Years
Longtime Adidas executive Eric Wise is leaving the company.
In a post on Wise’s LinkedIn page on Tuesday, he announced his departure from the German athletic company after 8.5 years.
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“I’m beyond grateful for the experiences, the challenges and most importantly the people who have made this journey so special,” Wise wrote on LinkedIn. “Adidas isn’t just a company – it’s a global culture, a community and a place where creativity and innovation push boundaries every day.”
Wise, who most recently served as general manager of global basketball at Adidas, joined the company in 2016 as director of merchandising for Foot Inc. During his tenure, he also held the positions of category director of merchandising for US Originals, senior director of product, and global vice president of product. Prior to Adidas, Wise held several footwear buying positions at Villa and was the owner of Premier Athlete Performance.
“While leading the basketball business, I am proud of our achievement – relaunching the category, expanding partnerships, establishing a strong presence in Los Angeles and achieving incredible sales gains on the business side,” Wise wrote. “I’ve learned so much here – the power of collaboration, the importance of staying true to a brand’s DNA while pushing for the future and how sport, style and purpose intersect in ways that inspire millions around the world.”
“To my team and partners—thank you for your trust, your energy and the unforgettable moments we’ve shared. While I’ll always be cheering for you from the sidelines, I’m incredibly excited for what’s next,” Wise added. “More to come soon—but for now, just gratitude.”
In a statement from an Adidas spokesperson, the footwear company confirmed that Wise resigned from his post. “We are grateful and appreciative of the significant contributions that Eric has made over his 8-year tenure with the brand, culminating in his leadership of the basketball business unit,” the spokesperson said. “We would like to thank Eric for his contributions to the brand, and wish him all the best in his next chapter.”
FN has reached out to Wise for more information.
Wise’s exit from the Three Stripes comes one month after Adidas announced it would cut jobs at its Herzogenaurach, Germany headquarters in order to “simplify operations.” Wise, who was based in Los Angeles, was not part of any downsizing at the company.
The cuts came the same week Adidas reported stellar preliminary results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2024.
Adidas saw revenues grow 24 percent in Q4 to 5.97 billion euros, up from 4.81 billion euros the same time last year. As for the full fiscal year, Adidas said revenues increased 11 percent in 2024 to 23.68 billion euros, compared to 21.43 billion euros in fiscal 2023.
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