Alistair Cameron
Executive Leadership Program - Amsterdam Class 07
I am the CEO of Asics and a chairman of the premium outdoor brand Haglofs of Sweden. My life revolves around weekly commutes from Nottingham to Amsterdam, 4 trips a year to Kobe, Japan, start meetings, and driving sustainable growth around all Asics categories in a multi-channel environment. As a CEO of ASICS EMEA, everything I do is about Sport (a great industry). Asics prides itself on making the most technical shoes and apparel, tested in the Sports Institute of Science in Japan - where over 200 scientists work hard to improve every detail and to make products that enhance top athletes, and to find solutions to reduce injury in sport. I have been with Asics for the past five years, and prior to that was business unit director women's at Clarks shoes for two years, where I was the only man among ten thousand women (or so it seemed) across 600 retail doors. I know everything about kitten heels, platforms and loafers. That followed 7 years as CEO of New Balance (our industry is small and our target was Asics, as I said to one of the Asics reps who had worked with me at NB "if you can't beat them join them").
I have a BA in German and Economic and Social History from UEA in Norwich in the UK. I grew up in Greenwich in London, the youngest of four. I have been married to my wife, Shelley, for 27 years now, and she is my life coach and social conscience. I am a father to Nick, 23, who is in his first job in social media in Norwich and to Max, 21, who is in his second year at Newcastle. My running partner is Roxy, a 10-year-old retriever (ashamed to run with him in his Asics tights...shorts in summer are better). I am training towards his first marathon in New York this year - because everyone at Asics runs - but also because it clears my head and is starting to compensate for heavy meals and extensive travel schedule. I plan to use the THNK Creative Leadership program to bring new, innovative creative thinking into ASICs in everything they do, to ensure that they create a profitable, enjoyable, and sustainable future for everyone that wants to be a part of their journey; to more than double their sports and lifestyle business to 2 billion euros, and beyond.
