Jan Runau

Chief Corporate Communications Officer
Adidas
Germany

Jan Runau has spent more than two decades at sporting apparel giant Adidas, where he has been chief corporate comms officer since 2006. He did leave briefly to work at Hugo Boss, but soon returned. His only other absence from Adidas since 1991 was to take nine months’ parental leave.

In his current role, Runau oversees and directs external and internal communications, and sits on the core leadership group. A journalism graduate, Runau worked at several German newspapers before joining Adidas.

A committed athlete who has completed an Iron Man triathlon, run marathons and cycled up mountains, Runau brings a similar level of dedication to his work for Adidas. He helped the German firm navigate its way to the number two position in the global sports market after its blockbuster merger with Reebok in 2006. In 2021, he was named Best Company Spokesperson of the Last 20 Years by German PR publication PR Report, and has scooped Best Company Spokesperson of the Year four times.

Can you share a moment in your career when you saw PR's direct impact on business performance?
Luckily enough, I see it over and over again in our industry. A great example is the record sales achieved with the German jersey for the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament, backed by a very strong communication and PR campaign.

What are the communications industry's biggest challenges and opportunities in the year ahead?
Challenge: the rise of AI. Opportunity: the importance of live communication.

What have you most admired about the communications industry over the past year?
I admire its strength coming out of the pandemic.

What work from your team are you most proud of over the past year?
The ‘Typical German’ and ‘A Fashion Piece’ campaigns to promote the German home and away jersey for UEFA Euro 2024, leading to record sales and making the pink jersey the best sold away jersey of all time.

How have you switched off from work and maintained wellness over the past year?
By spending quality time with family and friends, and by doing sports.

Which book/movie/TV show/podcast/playlist/other cultural source has helped you get through the past year or provided inspiration?
The book and the Netflix series, All The Light We Cannot See.

If I wasn't working in marketing/communications, I would be...
A tennis teacher for kids (which I actually am already on a voluntary basis).