Adrian Carney

Director of Product Development @ Emma – The Sleep Company

About

I am a Chief Product Officer / SVP Product–level executive with over 30 years of experience leading global product organisations in footwear and lifestyle brands across Europe and international markets. I specialise in defining end-to-end product strategy, simplifying complex portfolios, and translating strong brand DNA into scalable, commercially successful assortments. I have partnered closely with CEOs and executive leadership teams in growth, transformation, and international expansion contexts—aligning product creation, brand strategy, and go-to-market execution to drive sustainable business impact. Most recently, I served as Vice President Product Creation at Birkenstock, where I built and led a global product organisation of 49 across design, development, and portfolio management. During this period, the business achieved 20%+ year-on-year growth, contributing to €1.8B in revenue, while expanding from a heritage sandal brand into a multi-category, lifestyle-driven global portfolio. I also led high-profile collaborations with Dior, Manolo Blahnik, Jil Sander, Kith, and Maharishi, strengthening global brand relevance without diluting authenticity. Earlier in my career, I spent over two decades at adidas in progressive global leadership roles across footwear and apparel, driving sustained double-digit growth in training footwear, delivering elite athlete and global event product programmes, and leading complex cross-functional teams within a global matrix organisation. I am now focused on Chief Product Officer or SVP Product roles within footwear, lifestyle, or adjacent consumer brands—particularly organisations seeking portfolio focus, brand modernisation, and strong alignment between product, brand, and commercial strategy

Country

Germany

City

Wilhelmsdorf

Industry

Consumer Goods

Skill

Sporting Goods Industry Expertise, Footwear Manufacturing, Merchandising Strategy, Team Building & Organisational Design, Fashion Collaboration Management, Portfolio Optimisation, Go-to-Market Strategy, Digital Product Creation (DPC), Sustainable Product Development, Consumer Insights to Product, Footwear Innovation, Footwear Product Creation, Product Strategy, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Product Management

Experience

Director of Product Development

Emma – The Sleep Company

2024-10 - 2025-3 · 6 mos

Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany

Recruited to lead product development, design, and commercialisation during a phase of portfolio review and operational restructuring in a PE-backed scale-up environment. • Led cross-functional teams across product development, design, and commercialisation. • Initiated portfolio simplification initiatives to improve efficiency, focus, and margin discipline. • Aligned product development priorities with commercial and operational objectives.

Vice President Product Creation

Birkenstock Product GmbH

2020-6 - 2024-8 · 4 yrs 3 mos

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Executive lead for global product creation, responsible for evolving Birkenstock from a heritage sandal brand into a multi-category, lifestyle-driven global portfolio. • Built and led a global product organization of 49 across design, development, and portfolio management. • Contributed to 20%+ YoY revenue growth, supporting €1.8B revenue in FY 2023–2024. • Expanded the portfolio from core sandals into closed shoes, seasonal products, and lifestyle categories while preserving brand authenticity. • Led strategic collaborations with Dior, Manolo Blahnik, Jil Sander, Kith, and Maharishi, elevating global brand relevance. • Aligned product creation processes with commercial strategy and international scaling across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Category Director & Category Manager, Footwear & Apparel

adidas

1999-8 - 2020-6 · 20 yrs 11 mos

Herzogenaurach, Germany

Progressive global leadership roles with responsibility for category strategy, product creation, and performance innovation across footwear and apparel. • Led global footwear and apparel categories across training, customisation, and performance sports. • Delivered concept-to-market product strategies for elite athletes and global sporting events, including Olympic and marathon programs. • Drove sustained double-digit growth in training footwear over multiple years. • Unified design, development, sourcing, and marketing teams within a complex global matrix organisation.

Design Director

Lacoste Chaussures

1998-7 - 1999-6 · 1 yr

London, England, United Kingdom

• Designed and delivered the Autumn/Winter 1999–2000 footwear collection, contributing to a reported 200% increase in sales. • Strengthened alignment between brand identity, design direction, and commercial outcomes.