Adidas 2003 Annual Report Download - page 110

Employees /// adidas-Salomon GREW UP WITH A SPIRIT
THAT ENABLED HUNDREDS OF WORLD RECORDS TO BE
SET AND OLYMPIC MEDALS TO BE WON. WE GREW UP WITH
THE SPIRIT OF PEOPLE WHO FORGE THEIR OWN PATH TO
SUCCESS. EVERY PERSONAL SUCCESS IS A COMPANY
SUCCESS AND VICE VERSA. AND THEREFORE, IT IS OUR
PERMANENT OBJECTIVE TO CREATE A WORKING ENVIRON-
MENT THAT STIMULATES TEAM SPIRIT AND PASSION,
ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT.
OUR VALUES DEFINE OUR BEHAVIOR /// At adidas-Salomon,
we believe that the core values of our brands such as authen-
ticity, inspiration, commitment and honesty are represented
not only in our products, but also in the way we work. Based
on these values, in 2003 we developed our “Internal Code of
Conduct”. This Internal Code of Conduct is a compilation of
principles and formal policies, such as a “Prevention of
Corrupt Practices/Bribery Act”, which formerly existed in
separate formats. Since 2003, the Internal Code of Conduct
represents the central guidelines for our daily working life.
The areas covered by this Code include the promotion of a
healthy and safe working place, the careful utilization of
resources, the protection of intellectual property as well as
the prevention of corrupt practices. As part of our efforts
regarding transparency and good corporate governance,
topics such as accurate accounting and financial reporting,
the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest and the avoid-
ance of insider trading have a prominent place in our Code.
A DIVERSE MIX OF BACKGROUNDS /// Another major part
of the Internal Code of Conduct deals with the respect of
personal dignity and differences. In 2003, 45% of our total
employees were women and 55% were men. Of the executive
management positions, 23% are held by women and 77% are
held by men. Because a generally accepted definition for
minorities is non-existent in Europe, adidas-Salomon is
unable to provide data in this respect. At our headquarters in
Herzogenaurach, we have more than 300 international
employees from over 40 countries. And to ensure the Group’s
closeness to the main target group, our employees are young:
The average age is 33 years. This pattern holds true for the
whole Group. The majority of our employees work at brand
adidas. Own production activities at Salomon, however,
elevate their number of employees. Regionally, the employee
split largely reflects the respective proportion of sales within
the Group. Despite our diverse backgrounds, what unites
all adidas-Salomon employees is our passion for competition
and a sporting lifestyle. (For information on the number
of employees and their functions, please see Group Manage-
ment Report/Group Business Performance.)
106 REPORTING EMPLOYEES
EMPLOYEES BY BRAND
TaylorMade-adidas Golf 7%
Headquarters/
Sourcing 14%
Salomon 18%
adidas 61%
EMPLOYEES BY REGION
Latin America 5%
Asia 20%
North America 22%
Europe 53%