Adidas executive who said racism talks are ‘noise’ is resigning

“It has become clear to me that to unify the organization it would be better for me to withdraw and pave the way for change,” Parkin said in a written statement.

Parkin’s career at Adidas spanned 23 years, according to Adidas AG Supervisory Board Chairman Igor Landau, who said Parkin “has always acted in the best interest of our company and our people.”

“His decision to leave the company reflects that commitment and his belief that a new HR leader will better drive the pace of change that Adidas needs right now,” Landau said in a written statement.

Leaving Tuesday, Parkin said she is committed to the company’s goals of being more “diverse, inclusive, and equitable.”

His previous controversial statements reported by the Journal came shortly after an investigation by the New York Times found that less than 5% of employees at Adidas headquarters in North America identify themselves as black. The few black people who worked there He expressed feeling marginalized by his employer, who regularly markets himself using famous black designers and brand ambassadors like Beyoncé and Kanye West.

Adidas said CEO Kasper Rorsted will take over as acting head of Human Resources until a more permanent replacement is found.

The company recently launched several initiatives aimed at addressing racial inequality both internally and externally. By 2025, she plans to donate $ 120 million to American initiatives that address racial injustice and support black communities.

Rorsted recently sponsored a Global Committee to Accelerate Inclusion and Equality for Adidas, which the company says includes internal decision makers “from different racial and ethnic backgrounds” around the world.

Adidas has also set a goal for at least 30% of all new positions in the US to be filled by black or Latino people and for 20% -23% of corporate roles to be filled by black employees. and Latinos by 2025. The company also said it expects black and Latino people to understand 12% of their leadership positions in the United States.