MUNICH (BRAIN) — The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry has elected Frank A. Dassler as its new president. Dassler is the general counsel of the Adidas Group and a descendent of Adidas and Puma founders Adolf and Rudolf Dassler; his father, Armin Dassler, served as WFSGI's president from 1986-1989.
Dassler was elected to the position at the WFSGI's recent general assembly in Munich. At the assembly, the WFSGI board approved a strategic direction for the next three years. The strategy includes working for free world trade; association growth in Asia; "tackling" counterfeiters and more.
Dassler cited a pilot program involving the bike industry as an example of how the WFSGI should act as an "engagement hub" for an industry. He called for the group to develop similar relationships with other parts of the sporting goods industry.
"The WFSGI should be developed into an 'engagement hub' in which brands, suppliers and retailers can elaborate on industry developments such as end-to-end thinking and acting," Dassler said.
The WFSGI also will continue a collaboration with the United Nations aimed at motivate children to do sports and engage in physical activity. "Our industry should do the utmost to promote a healthy active living as every person being physical active is a current and future consumer of our products. According to thorough studies, we need to start motivate children at a very early stage to do sports and physical activity needs to be included as an integral part in our life," he said.
