Alcott Global Podcast: The Origin Story of Reebok and How It Became the Iconic Brand It Is Today
In Episode #182 of Leaders in Value Chain Podcast, Radu Palamariu, Managing Director Asia Pacific & Europe of Alcott Global, interviewed Joe Foster, Founder of Reebok.
Listen to the full episode here.
Key highlights of this episode:
The origin story of Reebok
Growing a business at a hyper-growth stage
Challenges in communicating with potential distributors
Keeping up with the growth demands
Reebok’s culture and expanding globally
Founding one of the biggest sporting goods companies in the world, Joe Foster shared in this episode the humble beginnings of Reebok and why they chose the name. Joe also shared what it is like growing a business from a $9 million company to a $900 million empire. He also discussed some of their challenges, such as communicating with potential distributors and keeping up with growth demands. On top of that, the company culture had to be maintained as it expanded globally. Lastly, Joe also shared how he envisions Reebok in the future.
About Joe Foster
Joe founded Reebok in 1958 with his late brother Jeff, following their family heritage back to 1895. Joe’s Grandfather, also Joseph W Foster, pioneered the spiked running shoe and famously made shoes for the world’s best athletes of the early 20th century, with World records and Olympic gold Medals.
Wearing (pumps) made by J W Foster & Sons Ltd, Harold Abrahams, and Eric Liddell won Olympic Gold Medals in the 1928 Paris Olympics and were immortalized in the film ‘Chariots of Fire’.
With Reebok, they followed in his footsteps, with Olympic, Commonwealth, and European medals and World record-breaking performances, represented now by the range of Reebok Classics.
About Leaders in Value Chain Podcast
Leaders in
Value Chain Podcast is focused on bringing some of the best thought leaders in the industry, picking their brains, and sharing them with as many interested listeners as possible. Alcott Global wants to connect the audience with global experts, thought leaders, and executives in the value chain. The podcast discusses Value Chain's leading-edge technologies, leadership stories, and personal success habits.
Alcott Global provides Executive Search Solutions for key positions at all pillars of the end-to-end value chain: planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, e-commerce, and overall supply chain operations.
The host, Radu Palamariu, works on C-level and top management executive search assignments with Top Fortune 500 companies and local conglomerates in value chains for manufacturing, logistics, transportation, supply chain management, and e-commerce and also the co-author of “From Source to Sold – Stories of Leadership in Supply Chain”.
