Industrialist - Sports Business - Former CEO of Adidas and chairman of FC Kaiserslautern, German football club

Rene Jäggi has been a highly successful international CEO, having turned round Adidas, and has for many years been considered one the most outstanding chairmen in the German Bundesliga, after saving FC Kasierslautern from bankruptcy.

After studying at the University of Basel and the Hochschule St Gallen, Rene Jaeggi began his career in FMCG marketing, for companies such as R.J Reynolds and Duracell.

In 1986 he became Vice-President of Marketing for Adidas. In 1987 he became CEO, and began a five-year restructuring programme of the company. He reduced costs by moving production to low-cost countries, and by repositioning the Adidas brand, restored its reputation.

Having left Adidas he then became an active investor in a range of companies, such as Romika, the German shoe brand, and Head, helping to restore them to profitability.

From 1991-96 he was chairman on the Swiss football club FC Basel. During this time the club moved to a new stadium, became Swiss champions for the first time in 22 years and took part in the European Champions League for the first time.

He then moved to the German club FC Kaiserslautern, where he faced a much greater challenge. Although it enjoyed a long history, the club was heavily in debt, and the previous management faced corruption charges. He cut the salary bill of the players, reduced the clubs debts and made Kaiserslautern one the World Cup venues in 2006. He left the club in July 2006.

Having left the football world, Rene Jaeggi founded a company internationally active in the Biodiesel sector. He sits on the board as President or advisor to a number of companies.

As a Judo enthusiast in his early years, he believes that the sport gave him “discipline, mobility, and the ability to fall and get up again, withstand defeat and to grow from it.”