Adidas exec, Karen Parkin, who said racism talks represent “noise” are declining

“It has become clear to me that it will be better for me to withdraw and pave the way for change to unite the organization,” Parkin said in a written statement.

Parkin’s career at Adidas has been 23 years, said Adidas AG Supervisory Board Chairman Igor Landau, who said Parkin “has always acted in the best interests of our company and our people.”

“Her decision to leave the company reflects that commitment and her belief that the new human resources leader will best achieve the progress that Adidas needs at this time,” Landau said in a written statement.

Leaving on Tuesday, Parkin said she was committed to the company’s goals of becoming “more diverse, comprehensive and equitable”.

Her previous controversial statements published by the Journal were published shortly after a New York Times investigation who found less than 5% of employees at Adidas ’North American headquarters identify as Black. A few black people who worked there expressed a feeling marginalized by his employer, who routinely markets himself using well-known black designers and brand ambassadors like Beyoncé and Kanye West.

Adidas has said CEO Kasper Rorsted will take over the interim head of HR until a more permanent replacement is found.

The company was recently launched several initiatives aimed at addressing racial inequality both inside and out. By 2025, it plans to donate $ 120 million to U.S. initiatives that address racial injustice and support black communities.

Recently, Rorsted sponsored the global Board for Accelerating Inclusion and Equality for Adidas, which the company says involves internal decision-makers “from different racial and ethnic groups,” around the world.

Adidas has also at least set a goal 30% of all new jobs in the U.S. to be filled by blacks or Latinxes and 20% -23% of corporate roles by 2025 to be employed by Black and Latinx. leading positions in the United States.