National rank
#9
Position in the 2026 German CEO Performance Ranking.
CEO & company research profile · Reviewed 2026-09-13
Bjørn Gulden: adidas
Bjørn Gulden ranks #9 in the 2026 German CEO Performance Ranking with a Meridian score of 80.2. This expanded profile shows the operating record, strategic case, risk factors and category scores behind that result.
Meridian score
80.2 / 100
Composite score using the common seven-factor Meridian framework.
Company
adidas
A nationally significant listed company included in the 2026 research universe.
Leadership tenure
adidas CEO since January 2023
Tenure is considered when deciding how much operating evidence can reasonably be attributed to the current CEO.
Operating record
2025 performance snapshot
adidas 2025 net sales reached €24.8bn and operating profit rose to €2.06bn from €1.34bn in 2024, with gross margin improving to 51.6%.
A sharp recovery in operating profit, gross margin and brand momentum gives adidas one of Germany's clearest consumer-sector turnaround stories.
Seven-factor score breakdown
| Factor | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Shareholder performance | 25% | 86 / 100 |
| Revenue & earnings | 20% | 91 / 100 |
| Capital efficiency | 15% | 88 / 100 |
| Strategic execution | 15% | 93 / 100 |
| Innovation & future investment | 10% | 82 / 100 |
| Workforce signal | 10% | 88 / 100 |
| Governance | 5% | 86 / 100 |
Category scores are editorial-data assessments based on the published methodology and available public evidence. They are designed for comparative research, not investment advice.
Strategic assessment
Strategic execution
Restore product heat, simplify wholesale relationships, rebuild North American momentum and return inventory and discounting to healthier levels.
Capital allocation
Improved working capital, inventory quality and operating leverage have materially strengthened the turnaround economics.
Innovation and future investment
Product innovation matters, but brand management, speed and cultural relevance are more important to the score than pure R&D intensity.
Workforce and operating model
The turnaround has emphasised faster decision making, product ownership and stronger commercial accountability.
What could change the ranking
Risks and counterweights
Fashion cycles, athlete/brand dependence and renewed competitive pressure can reverse momentum quickly.
Future editions can move the score materially when annual results, acquisitions, capital-allocation decisions, management changes, regulatory events or significant governance developments alter the evidence base.
View the primary or investor source used for this profile.
Meridian uses annual reports, official results, filings and attributable investor disclosures as the primary evidence layer. Comparative scores are versioned and may change as new evidence becomes available.