Adidas’ diversity takes another hit as only female executive steps down

Amanda Rajkumar, the only female executive board member at Adidas, is stepping down from her position after deciding not to extend her term.

1. Rajkumar’s departure highlights a fresh diversity challenge for the company, which has seen several senior women leave in recent years.
2. When Rajkumar joined Adidas earlier this year, she was the only woman on the executive board, which at the time consisted solely of white males.
3. Adidas has faced criticism in the past for its handling of diversity issues, including after the resignation of Rajkumar’s predecessor Karen Parkin following criticism from black employees.
4. The departure of Rajkumar comes as Adidas is trying to recover from a scandal involving Kanye West and shake up its management team under the leadership of CEO Bjorn Gulden. Michelle Robertson will assume responsibility for Rajkumar’s role on an interim basis, and there are six women on Adidas’s 16-strong supervisory board.