Adidas appoints marketing chief

Adidas has been hit by the departure of its top UK marketer, Barry Hunter, who has resigned without a job to go to. He will be replaced by the managing director of Timberland, Gordon Baird, who takes up the role of managing director for marketing on November 1. A spokesman for the sports shoe and clothing company says: “Hunter has left after mutual consent, and he is exploring other opportunities.” Before working at Timberland, Baird was managing director of Dunlop Slazenger for three years until January 1998. Timberland vice-president for Europe Richard O’Rourke is leading the search for Baird’s successor. Baird says: “Adidas is an enormous brand globally, and in the UK. The scale of the operation and power of the brand is, professionally and personally, too good an opportunity to miss.” He will report to Eric Stamminger, board member responsible for marketing in Europe and Asia at parent company Adidas-Salomon in Germany. Baird will run the Adidas business in the UK and Ireland with managing director of sales Kath Smith. The changes are not expected to affect Adidas’ review of its &£10m UK media account, which is taking place a year after it realigned its &£50m continental media business into the Carat network. UK incumbent New PHD is expected to pitch against Carat for the TV buying account. Adidas’ strategic and implementational media planning and non-TV media buying are handled by its creative agency Leagas Delaney.

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