Elisa Frego, Adidas

Curated by VSM Alumni, February 2026

Can you tell us about your professional journey after graduation? How did you move from your first role to your current position?
After graduation, like many people, I started with several internships that allowed me to explore different industries and roles, helping me understand what truly motivated me and what felt less aligned with my interests. Over time, I realized that what inspired me most was working close to the product, contributing in a tangible way to something people would eventually wear or use.
My first real professional chapter began in Milan as a junior merchandiser in the apparel and licensing division of Dolce&Gabbana, an Italian luxury company. It was an incredibly valuable experience: I gained first-hand exposure to the luxury and Made in Italy environment, with all its excellence and complexity, and learned how a collection comes to life — from the initial creative idea to the final product.
Five years in this industry gave me strong foundations and the opportunity to understand a truly unique context. After such a formative period, I felt the need to further expand my skills and explore a different product and market. This step led me to the footwear industry, a field that had already fascinated me during university and that combined technical product aspects with my passion for sport.
Taking on this new challenge also meant moving abroad, to Germany. It wasn’t my first experience outside Italy — I had already done an Erasmus programme in Spain and an internship in Germany — but relocating as a professional was very different, requiring deeper and more conscious adaptation. Looking back, this transition significantly contributed to both my professional and personal growth.
A particularly meaningful coincidence is that the company where I work today, Adidas, is the same one where I completed an internship during university and for which I wrote my Master’s thesis in International Management. In a way, it felt like reconnecting with a thread left years earlier, returning to a sector that had already fascinated me and where I can now continue to grow and build on my previous experiences.

How did your Management education help you navigate such a competitive international environment?
My Management education gave direction to my curiosity and provided a solid foundation from which to build my professional path. I especially remember the International Management Master’s programme, where classes were dynamic and closely connected to real-world practice: theory was combined with concrete case studies, workshops, and contributions from both local and international companies. This approach made the programme inspiring, encouraging vision and curiosity while valuing students’ willingness to challenge themselves.
Another key aspect was studying entirely in English, which proved extremely useful when taking my first steps into an international work environment — something I have always found particularly stimulating. At the same time, the participatory atmosphere and continuous dialogue with classmates and professors encouraged us to develop critical thinking and approach topics from broader perspectives.
That habit of constructive dialogue and multi-perspective thinking still accompanies me today, especially in a truly international environment like Adidas headquarters, where we collaborate with people from more than 100 nationalities. In such a diverse context, clear communication and effective collaboration are not just added value — they are daily necessities.

What were the main challenges at the beginning of your career, and what helped you overcome them?
One of the reasons I chose a Management degree was the variety of opportunities it offered — a huge advantage, especially today. At the beginning of your career, however, this same breadth can create uncertainty: you are faced with many possible paths, and understanding where to position yourself can take time, particularly when entering the corporate world with all its nuances and dynamics.
For me, it was important early on to understand which area and function felt closest to my interests. Before finding it, some intermediate steps were necessary: certain experiences, including internships, helped me clarify what I was looking for, while others simply showed me what didn’t fully align with my inclinations. Even these small course corrections were valuable.
Throughout this process, having trusted mentors and reference figures was essential. Over time, they became real points of support, helping me interpret contexts more clearly, make more conscious decisions, and ultimately grow.

What does a Senior Product Manager in footwear at Adidas actually do? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
In reality, no two days are the same — and that is one of the most challenging but also most stimulating aspects of the role. It reflects the market we operate in: fast-moving, dynamic, and increasingly demanding in terms of flexibility.
In my role, I oversee product development throughout the entire lifecycle, from defining the brief to the moment the shoe reaches the market. This means setting and guiding the product vision, collaborating with creative and technical teams, and translating that vision into a concrete proposal that realistically meets consumer needs and market opportunities.
Throughout the process, there is continuous dialogue with markets: we share progress, collect feedback, and refine both product and launch strategy to ensure clear and consistent positioning.
This variety of dynamics is probably what I appreciate most about the role: it offers a complete view of a product’s life and the opportunity to collaborate with many different functions at both global and local levels.
Because you follow the entire journey from concept to market, one moment that still surprises me — even after years — is seeing someone on the street wearing a product I worked on. It’s a simple but meaningful reminder of the impact of our everyday decisions.

What can management learn from sports, and what can sport learn from management?
In sports, individual contribution is always part of a collective dimension, and this reflects corporate dynamics very well.
I believe sport reminds management of some simple yet fundamental principles: having clear goals, working consistently, and adapting strategy when circumstances change.
At the same time, sport can draw inspiration from management, particularly in terms of long-term vision: planning, reading context, and allocating resources strategically. These elements help create continuity in results and build more sustainable paths beyond immediate performance.
Ultimately, the two worlds meet on a key point: both rely on creativity and innovation. Whether it’s finding a new solution to a product challenge or redesigning a game strategy, the ability to innovate — in both thinking and action — is what truly makes the difference.

What advice would you give to your student self today?
Looking back, I would tell myself not to feel pressured to identify the “final choice” immediately. I have worked across eyewear, apparel, the unique world of luxury and Made in Italy, and now footwear and sports, and I’ve learned that many companies appreciate this variety because it creates synergies and brings complementary perspectives.
Different experiences, especially at the beginning, can all be valuable if over time you manage to build a coherent thread that connects your choices and helps present a solid, recognizable professional profile. Often, it’s not a single experience that makes the difference, but how you enrich it, evolve it, and connect it to the next one. In this process, genuine passion for the sector helps more than expected: it guides decisions, makes deeper learning feel natural, and sustains motivation over time.
I would also encourage students to consider one or more international experiences, if possible. Not because they are automatically better, but because they offer real exposure to different ways of working and different standards — and that kind of exposure can significantly accelerate professional growth.

---