Behind the scenes at adidas Amsterdam. Meet Wouter

Who?    Wouter Hol

What?   Senior Director Human Resources

When?   (Re-)Started 2016

How?     Former connections...

Meet Wouter. A familiar face for some of you. Wouter started his adidas adventure in 2004 and now he's back in business in Amsterdam. Even though his journey slightly diverted through the years, he always stayed connected…

Young Wouter packed his bags and left his homeland of the Netherlands to study in 'vivant' France. A love story began, he met his girl, and their romance bloomed. When his Fran?aise decided to explore her half-German roots, the couple packed together and moved to Nuremberg.

And when in Rome... Once settled in Bavaria Wouter applied at our group. He landed himself a golden ticket to a Traineeship Global HR. There might not be a better way to get to know the business, than from the engine that drives it all. He shifted sideways, moved up and saw it all - from recruitment to talent management, from operations to design departments. He learned the ins and outs of various fields from a people perspective. And everywhere he went, he left his mark and made valuable friendships to last a lifetime.

From the Netherlands to France, from France to Germany, from Germany to Shanghai. When the time came to move on or move back, familiar Amsterdam won over happening Hong Kong. This sadly meant that Wouter had to say his goodbyes to his beloved adidas. For now…

Shoes got swapped for baby bites in Wouter's next challenge at Danone. A new culture, a new focus, a new way of working. Where we live for sports and sneakers, he experienced a world of living for new life. The nutrition industry really is a different ball game. The tiniest mistake could have severe implications, and so this business comes with strict structure and serious stress. The other end of the spectrum does put things in perspective; whatever we do no one gets killed. Wouter experienced first hand how lucky we are to work at a place where we're challenged to create, to make mistakes and continue to learn. A place of innovation and growth. A place of friendships and freedom. A place you don't want to lose touch with.

So when a long-but-not-lost adidas friend contacted Wouter to head up HR, this was an offer he couldn't refuse. Going back to his roots, in a city he loves, at a job that is challenging and exciting. Lucky? Yes, sure. But don't we all create our own luck? Wouter knows as no other, that connections are key. Because you never know, they might just be the start of the rest of your life...

Are you ready to connect with adidas? Check out the jobs on our career site https://bit.ly/2MBnXKz