After 11 years at Adidas including a notable collaboration with Porsche, Anna-Maria Herz was ready to trade the fast lane of fashion for sleep. But she’s certainly not lying down on the job.
Now working as a director of e-commerce for fast-growing sleep products company Emma - The Sleep Company, the Study Abroad Program (Business) alumna is embracing fresh challenges and entering a new phase of her life. Mrs Herz (Class of 2010) came to Bond University while studying a Bachelor of Arts – Economics (Business Administration) in her native Germany. A travel enthusiast with a passion for learning languages, she was eager to study overseas and explore a new culture. “It opened my eyes a little bit and taught me that I wanted to work in an international environment with a brand that is international,” she said. “After I graduated I went back to Germany for an internship with global sports giant Adidas.”
The role was a perfect fit for the former sportswoman and ballet dancer who wanted to work in an industry she could relate to. “When I got my first sports tracksuit it was kind of a nostalgic moment,” she said.
Her work with Adidas would lead to a collaboration with another legendary German brand, Porsche. “I did 3.5 years in product management in a unit that merged Porsche and Adidas as a combination,” she said. “It was largely a sportswear and equipment collaboration for very luxurious sports clothing for tennis and golf players.”
Mrs Herz’s love for travel and the international reach of Adidas then paved the way for a move to Singapore, concentrating on merchandising. “I was in charge of six countries in Southeast Asia and Australia, heading up the global sportswear collection,” she said. “Adidas was young and fast. I selected collections for different markets, looked at pricing and activation of the products which was different for different countries. I was looking after the wholesale business to retailers.”
Mrs Herz’s career at Adidas culminated in her role as Director of Global Product Management for Men’s Training Apparel. At the time, her interest in e-commerce was growing, and that’s when the job with Emma came up, allowing her to move to Frankfurt to be closer to her partner.
Emma – The Sleep Company was founded in 2015 in Germany and is active in more than 30 countries, achieving revenues of more than $1 billion in 2023 and an annual growth rate of 13 per cent. While the company has expanded into some bricks and mortar stores, 80 per cent of its business remains online.
It turns out there is some crossover between Mrs Herz’s former and current employers.
“Adidas did a lot of research on the importance of physical recovery as an important part of exercise, and sleep obviously is a big part of it," she said.
Mrs Herz is now Emma’s Director Central Europe E-Com, responsible for the company’s e-commerce operations in 17 European countries. “Our market is very broad. In Europe it’s the 24-45-year-olds and we put a lot of effort into building great products,” she said. “We have good R&D departments and our sleep research team with neuroscientists and psychologists sets us apart from the competition. In our Frankfurt office we have test labs where we test our mattresses against others.”
Mrs Herz said her time at Bond University gave her a global perspective, paving the way for her to work at two of the world’s leading brands. “Now when I talk to younger colleagues I always encourage them to study and travel,” she said.
“As cliched as it sounds, travel definitely broadens your horizon. You are exposed to different cultures and I think you become more tolerant.”
Mrs Herz is now Emma’s Director Central Europe E-Com, responsible for the company’s e-commerce operations in 17 European countries. “Our market is very broad. In Europe it’s the 24-45-year-olds and we put a lot of effort into building great products,” she said. “We have good R&D departments and our sleep research team with neuroscientists and psychologists sets us apart from the competition. In our Frankfurt office we have test labs where we test our mattresses against others.”
Mrs Herz said her time at Bond University gave her a global perspective, paving the way for her to work at two of the world’s leading brands. “Now when I talk to younger colleagues I always encourage them to study and travel,” she said.
“As cliched as it sounds, travel definitely broadens your horizon. You are exposed to different cultures and I think you become more tolerant.”
Mrs Herz is currently making the most of one of her company’s products while she can — she’s expecting a baby. “Emma has children’s mattresses too,” she quipped, “so we should be right!”
