Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization
As a member of the Türkiye Senior Leadership Team, act as a strategic business partner to the Türkiye organization, providing proactive legal and compliance guidance to enable business objectives, support sustainable growth, and protect adidas’ assets and interests. Ensure alignment with Global and Emerging Markets Legal & Compliance standards, policies, and principles.
Provide general legal services to the market, including general legal advice, contractual support, and training to client groups. The role also serves as the Compliance Officer and is responsible for all compliance aspects within the market.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the Legal & Compliance function with full responsibility for Türkiye.
- Provide concise legal advice across the business, supported by risk profiling and mitigation measures.
- Act as a business partner with a strong understanding of commercial priorities and core business requirements.
- Lead critical and crisis matters across Türkiye and participate in crisis preparedness and management.
- Support transformation, outsourcing and insourcing projects, and other strategic business initiatives.
- Provide legal services including training, counselling, contract review, drafting, negotiation, transaction structuring, risk assessment, and dispute avoidance.
- Manage adidas’ day-to-day legal needs in Türkiye and liaise with the Group Intellectual Property team.
- Handle corporate and commercial law matters and serve as a key legal contact for the General Manager and senior management.
- Support corporate recordkeeping, joint ventures, acquisitions, mergers, governance, litigation, and other legal matters.
- Support the negotiation and resolution of legal and business disputes.
- Supervise external counsel, focusing on quality, efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
- Develop and deliver educational programs covering relevant legal areas.
- Manage compliance communications, education, and facilitation of the compliance program within the market.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Very strong interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.
- Strong business acumen and ability to evaluate legal and commercial risk.
- Strong background in commercial and corporate law, negotiation, and business counselling.
- Ability to drive change and transformation in ambiguous environments.
- Proven leadership and managerial skills.
- Strong business planning and strategic development skills.
- Strategic thinking, ownership, accountability, and commitment to shared goals.
- Extensive knowledge of the retail business and relevant industry experience.
Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications
- Law degree required; postgraduate qualifications in business, management, or a relevant field are advantageous.
- At least 15 years of post-qualification experience in a law firm and/or as corporate counsel, including general corporate, transactional, and commercial law.
- Experience leading strategic legal and compliance initiatives, developing processes, and driving continuous improvement.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, including management of external legal counsel and related budgets.
- Ability to build cross-functional partnerships and advise senior executives and regional and global stakeholders.
- Fluent written and spoken English.
Company Culture
adidas promotes a winning culture based on courage, ownership, innovation, teamplay, integrity, and respect, with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.