adidas has appointed Birgit Kretschmer to its Executive Board effective September 1, 2026, with the seasoned finance executive set to succeed Harm Ohlmeyer as Chief Financial Officer by the end of the year.
Ohlmeyer, who has spent nearly three decades at adidas and has served as CFO since 2017, informed the Supervisory Board that he would not extend his mandate beyond his current contract. The succession plan was developed in close collaboration with CEO Bjørn Gulden and the board.
Kretschmer brings more than 30 years of finance experience and returns to adidas after spending 25 years with the company in several senior leadership roles, including CFO of adidas International BV, CFO of adidas Western Europe, and Senior Vice President of Corporate & Operations Finance. In those positions, she oversaw accounting, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, and operational controlling.
She joined adidas’ finance leadership team in 2012 and served on the company’s Executive Committee between 2017 and 2020. Over the past six years, she has been CFO of Netherlands-based fashion retailer C&A. Kretschmer also serves on the supervisory boards of publicly listed companies Ceconomy and Mister Spex, where she chairs the Audit Committee.
CEO Bjørn Gulden said Kretschmer’s experience at C&A had strengthened her expertise in cost discipline and retail operations, making her the ideal successor given her deep understanding of adidas and the sporting goods industry.
From January 1, 2027, the adidas Executive Board will consist of CEO Bjørn Gulden, CFO Birgit Kretschmer, Michelle Robertson and Mathieu Sidokpohou.