Adidas Is Building a Team to Beat Nike

German sportswear firm Adidas has appointed two new senior managers as part of an ongoing overhaul of its top leadership aimed at making the firm quicker to respond to consumer trends to keep up with bigger rival Nike.

Adidas said Karen Parkin, a 49-year-old British national, would take over as chief human resources officer from Nov. 1, reporting directly to chief executive Herbert Hainer.

Parkin joined Adidas in 1997 and has been in charge of the company's global supply chain since 2013, after nine years working in North America. She replaces Matthias Malessa.