Adidas says Ohlmeyer to succeed Stalker as CFO in May

Adidas on Tuesday said it appointed Harm Ohlmeyer, head of the group's global eCommerce business, as new finance chief from May 12, replacing Robin Stalker, who will not extend his contract after more than 16 years in the job.

"We are pleased to appoint Harm Ohlmeyer, an excellent internal candidate, to the Executive Board as successor to Robin J. Stalker," Adidas supervisory board Chairman Igor Landau said in a statement.

The stock's value has since almost tripled as the firm has hiked marketing spending, helping sales in the U.S. market.

Hainer was replaced as chief executive in October by Kaspar Rorsted, the Danish former chief of consumer goods group Henkel, prompting speculation among investors that Stalker, 59, might be the next to go.

Ohlmeyer, a 49-year-old German, joined the company in 1998, holding roles including head of finance for the core Adidas brand and finance chief for the firm's golf business, before taking over as ecommerce chief in 2011.

Adidas supervisory board Chairman Igor Landau said in a statement that Ohlmeyer had played a key role in efforts to make Adidas more digital, increasing ecommerce sales to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).

Rorsted is due to set out his strategy on Wednesday when Adidas posts results for 2016. He has already said that the U.S. market and digitalisation will be top priorities as he seeks to build on a five-year plan launched in 2015 by Hainer.