Adidas has appointed a Kiwi as its new president of Adidas North America.

Former Adidas New Zealand product manager Zion Armstrong will oversee American operations from 1 July, succeeding Mark King, who has decided to step down after a long career with the company.

Armstrong, who has co-led Adidas North America as general manager together with King since June 2015, will be reporting directly to Roland Auschel, member of the executive board of Adidas AG, responsible for global sales.

Armstrong first joined Adidas New Zealand as product manager for footwear in 1998 before moving to Adidas headquarters in Germany in 2002. From 2005 to 2014, the Kiwi held various leadership roles in Asia Pacific including managing director for Adidas South Korea.

Armstrong has served as general manager of Adidas North America since 2015. He competed in the IAAF World Junior Championships and the Commonwealth Games and is a former New Zealand record holder for 400 meter hurdles.

“We are very excited to promote Zion Armstrong to one of the most important roles in our company,” the sportswear retailer said. “We are convinced that Zion’s leadership will enable us to continue our successful journey in North America.”

In the coming years, King will continue to serve Adidas North America as an advisor.

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