Small Business Resources, Business Advice and Forms from AllBusiness.com
 

Eteamz Scores Big by Hiring Past Adidas Chief as CEO.

By DUNPHY, LAURA
Publication: Los Angeles Business Journal
Date: Monday, May 15 2000

ETEAMZ, a locally based site geared toward amateur and children's sports, has hit one out of the ballpark by recruiting as its new chairman and CEO a former president and CEO of Adidas America.

Steve Wynne will officially start in his new position this week, though he has been involved

with the company on an advisory basis for several weeks.

Wynne grew revenues at Adidas from $400 million when he started in 1995 to $1.7 billion when he left earlier this year. He left the company with no plans except to take several months of rest and spend time organizing his personal affairs, doing things with his family and getting in shape.

Eteamz's founders contacted Wynne about becoming the company's CEO, and he initially declined, but did agree to advise the company. He soon changed his mind and agreed to sign on full time.

"I was really drawn to what these guys were doing," he said. "Youth sports are particularly compelling to me because I have two teen-age daughters."

Both Wynne's daughters play soccer, and his younger girl plays basketball and runs track as well.

"Even though time has clearly created a proliferation of sports programs for women, one of the things I've seen in the evolution of girls' sports is that schools haven't really graduated enough women athletes yet who have their own children," Wynne said.

As a result, it's difficult to find mothers who have played sports and are willing to coach their daughters' teams. Fathers are certainly candidates to be coaching, but often feel more comfortable coaching boys' teams. All parents can benefit from eteamz, Wynne said.

"What eteamz can do is create a community where people who want to contribute can talk to people who just don't feel they have the skill set," he explained. "I think it's one of those rare opportunities to build a successful business and make a contribution to something you care about at the same time."

Because the job will involve a lot of online communication and travel, Wynne will work out of his home in Portland, Ore., for now Eteamz founder Brian Johnson, who had been serving as CEO, will now become the company's president.

In addition, make sure to read these articles:

  • Mike Houser Named Fila's Global Director of...
  • Business Editors SPARKS, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 2003 In an on-going effort to develop best-in-class products and increase its market share in the athletic footwear category ......
  • Steve Wynne Named President/CEO of Fila's...
  • Sports Editors/Business Editors HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2004 Steve Wynne, 51, has been named President and CEO of SBI International, Ltd. (SBI). He was formerly ......
  • Names & Reps: The Latest Sports Industry Staffing...
  • Wynne Logs On With eteamz.com; Karp Moves Up at Wilson ......
  • Issues
  • STOCKING STUFFERS ......
  • Adidasí Steve Wynne Turns In His Stripes
  • PORTLAND, ORó Adidas president Steve Wynne said he has done all he can for the company, announcing last month that he will step down after ......
  • adidas Reaches Partnership With TimThomas.
  • PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 1997--adidas announced today that it has reached a partnership with former Villanova basketball player Tim Thomas. Thomas was drafted by the ......
  • Adidas On-Field (Wilson Off) With NFL
  • NEW YORK- Adidas and the NFL announced a long-anticipated pact to put the three stripes on-field next season, a move which could be a precursor ......
  • Mixing Human Rights And Marketing, Reebok...
  • STOUGHTON, MA- Leading soccer vendors have been critical of Reebok-publicly and privately-for using human rights issues as a marketing angle for soccer balls.
  • Twenty Four·Seven
  • This e-commerce kiosk was designed for sports retailer Adidas America to serve as an interface between in-store customers and the company's Web site. Cables and ......
  • Wynne: Retailers Hurt In A MarkDown War
  • As president of Adidas USA, Steve Wynne has led the footwear manufacturer out from Nike Inc.'s shadow, even as the domestic athletic footwear market softened ......
  • Majors Spin Web Around Nike Site
  • E-commerce strategies are few and far between among major sporting goods retailers and manufacturers. So goes the synopsis based on presentations from key management representatives ......
  • Instant Overview of the US Running and Jogging...
  • DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c68962) has announced the addition of Snapshots US Running & Jogging Shoes 2007 to their offering. Snapdata's Snapshots ......
  • New President Appointed to Salomon NorthAmerica.
  • PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 1999--adidas America announced today the appointment of Tom Wright to the position of president of Salomon North America. He replaces former ......
  • 7| Flashy Footwear
  • To highlight the launch of Adidas America's Clima Cool footwear technology, Rapid Displays developed a multi-element POP package for rollout to 600 Foot Locker stores ......
  • Portland Becomes New Sporting Goods Mecca
  • Georgetown, MA--It should be a heck of a moving sale. Officials from Salomon North America announced that U.S. operations of Salomon will move to Portland, ......
presented by