This job has expired, please see additional jobs below
Director Corporate Ventures
Adidas Group
Portland, OR, United States
Job Details - this job has expired, please see similar jobs below
Purpose
Act as the primary business development manager for adidas Group’s corporate venturing activities in North America. This role will involve being the primary scout for investment opportunities, sourcing relevant market intelligence, screening the innovation-related universe, building and maintaining valuable relationships in the relevant industry universe, and supporting in due diligence and post-transaction interaction and monitoring activities of portfolio companies.
Key Responsibilities
• Under direction and leadership of the Vice President of M&A / Corporate Ventures, take responsibility for major parts of adidas Group’s corporate venturing value chain in North America.
• Ensure maximum visibility for adidas Group into innovative and potentially disruptive technologies, trends, brands, and businesses in North America by actively engaging with startup companies, the venture capital community, industry partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain a strong understanding of adidas Group’s corporate strategy, and facilitate investment processes in companies which have a strong alignment with advancing this strategy.
• Provide active support to the corporate ventures team throughout the entire life cycle of investments in North American portfolio companies.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
• Source USA/Canada-based transactions through proactive outreach and cultivation of a deep network of contacts at relevant startup companies, venture investors, and other players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Collaborate with the Headquarters corporate venturing team and other appropriate internal adidas Group teams to build and maintain a pipeline of high-quality investment opportunities in North America with strong strategic, innovation, and financial return characteristics
• Track and report on emerging technologies, industry trends, and new brands which may be of interest to adidas Group and the advancement of overall corporate strategy
• Support corporate venturing-related projects from identification to closing of investments, including due diligence, review of business plans, and structuring and coordination of the investment
• Act as the representative of the Managing Director of Hydra Ventures with full authority and mandate to negotiate investment terms as well as speaking at industry conferences
• Assume Board seats at selected investment companies, as well as monitoring, advising and managing the performance reporting of the individually assigned portfolio companies
Personal qualities/ educational background
1. University degree in business administration, engineering, or computer sciences
2. Minimum 10 years of professional experience in relevant fields (eg. venture capital, building technology or consumer product entrepreneurial ventures)
3. Entrepreneurial background would be viewed as advantageous
4. Strong interpersonal and communication skills to interact effectively and efficiently with external parties and senior management
5. Proven network in the North American startup ecosystem with investors, incubators, accelerators
6. Tech and digital savviness as well as background knowledge of innovation management
7. Strong numerical and finance skills
8. Solid familiarity with legal documents as they pertain to venture investments
9. Capability to thrive under pressure and work effectively as a team
10. Strong written, oral and presentation skills to communicate both internally as well as externally
11. Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion
12. Interest in sporting goods and the consumer retail industry and ability to understand and think this industry in strategic terms