Egypt’s Sawiris takes Adidas chair after decade on board
HERZOGENAURACH — Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris now chairs Adidas’s supervisory board, completing the leadership transition outlined by the German sportswear company in March. Adidas’s current board listing confirms that the longstanding investor has moved into the chairmanship, succeeding Thomas Rabe. Adidas board listing
The appointment brings one of Africa’s most prominent international investors into a leading governance role at the company. Sawiris joined the supervisory board in June 2016 and became deputy chairman in 2025. When Adidas announced the succession plan on 4 March, it proposed his re-election for another three year term and said the board intended to elect him chairman following its annual general meeting on 7 May. Adidas announcement
His elevation was accompanied by a commitment to continuity in executive leadership. Adidas extended chief executive Bjørn Gulden’s appointment until 31 December 2030, retaining the executive who has led the business since January 2023. Sawiris’s supervisory position is separate from Gulden’s responsibility for running the company, placing the two in distinct roles as Adidas pursues further growth. Adidas announcement
In explaining the choice, outgoing chairman Rabe pointed to Sawiris’s experience as an entrepreneur and investor, his contribution to the company’s strategic development and his significant shareholding through NNS. Adidas presented that investment as evidence of a long term commitment to the business and alignment with other shareholders. Rabe had chaired the board since August 2020, a period spanning pandemic disruption and the company’s subsequent recovery. Adidas announcement
Sawiris’s interests extend across industry and international sport. Forbes Africa’s March report identified him as a major Adidas shareholder and co-owner and chairman of Aston Villa Football Club, alongside an investment in Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. His Adidas role adds board leadership to an existing financial interest in the global sports business. Forbes Africa report
The change also reflects an established board member assuming greater responsibility rather than an investor arriving from outside the company. Adidas’s supervisory board has 16 members, including employee representatives. Sawiris takes the chair with nearly a decade of experience on that body and with the chief executive’s tenure secured through 2030, making the next phase a test of the leadership partnership’s ability to sustain the recovery. Adidas board listing
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