Zion Armstrong: From West Auckland to Adidas President, Working with Kanye, Lionel Messi & Pharrell

Feb 25, 2024

Zion Armstrong, the President of Adidas North America, shares his remarkable journey from West Auckland athlete to corporate leader. He discusses thrilling moments like facilitating Lionel Messi's signing and partnering with icons like Pharrell and Kanye West. Emphasizing the balance between ambitious career moves and personal values, Zion reveals his decision to step back from the corporate spotlight to prioritize family. His story is a blend of resilience, dedication, and the importance of mentorship, encapsulating what truly matters in life.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Footsteps of Leadership and Mentorship

02:21 • 22min

A Journey of Dedication: Athletic Training and Triumphs

24:11 • 3min

Journey of an Aspiring Athlete

27:13 • 17min

Navigating the Asian Footwear Market at Adidas

43:49 • 3min

Leadership and Cultural Insights in Hong Kong and Beyond

46:40 • 28min

Mastering Time Management and Leadership Through Structured Communication

01:14:51 • 4min

Navigating Sports Marketing Partnerships

01:19:02 • 22min

The Art of Empowering Leadership

01:41:07 • 3min

Balancing Career and Family: A Journey of Reevaluation

01:44:18 • 19min

The Importance of Loyalty and Leadership

02:03:00 • 5min

Strap in, because this one’s an epic.

Zion Armstrong's story starts in West Auckland and involves running away from the police so fast that he started an athletics career that took him to the Commonwealth Games. At the same time, he was selling sport shoes – and at the age of 24 was head of footwear at adidas NZ.

From that toehold he climbed the corporate ladder before becoming president for Adidas North America where he oversaw 12,500 staff, inked deals with some of the world's biggest sports and music stars and took annual profit to a record $US6 billion after a couple of years.

Here Armstrong can name-drop some ultra-impressive dealings, playing a link role in facilitating Inter Miami's signing of Lionel Messi, securing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on an Adidas promotional contract, and working on projects with Grammy award-winning rapper Pharrell Williams.

And then finally, in 2022, Armstrong walked away from this rock-and-roll lifestyle and returned to New Zealand in pursuit of being a better dad in the wake of his divorce, not wanting his children to experience the same disconnect he had often endured as a kid.

We cover all the detail in this one – and it’s one heck of a ride. Zion’s inspirational story shows what’s possible with the right mindset and work ethic – and his decision to walk away shows what's really important in life. You’ll love this one.

We're also super stoked to have Zion on the books of B2B Speakers, so if you’d like him to share his story, or one of our other epic guests, at your function or event, flick us a message by going to B2Bspeakers.co.nz. And while there sign up to our weekly newsletter with all the biggest news from us and the podcasting space in NZ.

Listen on iheart or wherever you get your podcasts from, or watch the video on Youtube. This episode was brought to you from the Export Beer garden studio.

Enjoy.

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