MAM
Red Bull-branded jumper Felix Baumgartner dies in paragliding crash at 56
MUMBAI: Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver who stunned the world with his supersonic leap from the edge of space in 2012, has died aged 56 in a paragliding crash in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy.
The Red Bull poster boy, dubbed “Fearless Felix”, reportedly lost control of his glider and plummeted to the ground near a hotel swimming pool, with local authorities suspecting a medical emergency during flight.
Baumgartner shot to fame in October 2012 when he jumped from 39km above the Earth as part of the Red Bull Stratos project. The death-defying stunt saw him break three records—highest freefall, fastest speed in freefall, and highest manned balloon flight—and made him the first human to break the sound barrier without mechanical assistance.
The former paratrooper and Base jumping legend carved a name for himself leaping off skyscrapers, bridges and cliffs. His Red Bull jump remains one of the most iconic branded stunts of all time, catapulting the energy drink maker into global cultural relevance.
His death marks the end of an era for extreme sports.
Brands
Adidas elevates Sartaj Kadian to director of digital marketing
Performance marketing lead steps up to drive AI-led, full-funnel growth across MENA and CIS
DUBAI: Adidas has promoted Sartaj Kadian to director digital marketing, tightening its grip on performance-led growth as brands double down on data, AI and cross-channel precision in a fiercely competitive retail landscape.
Kadian, who has spent over five years with the sportswear giant, most recently led performance marketing across MENA and CIS, steering media strategy and innovation to deliver both brand lift and commercial impact. In his new role, he will take charge of end-to-end digital marketing, with a sharper focus on integrating brand storytelling with measurable, full-funnel outcomes.
A digital marketing leader with over a decade of experience across global markets, Kadian has built and scaled high-performing teams, managed multi-million euro budgets and consistently delivered double-digit growth anchored in ROI. His playbook blends marketing mix modelling, AI-led optimisation and deep analytics to align marketing spends with business priorities.
Before adidas, Kadian led digital marketing, CRM and analytics at Landmark Group, where he drove omni-channel strategies spanning customer acquisition, engagement and retention across retail and e-commerce funnels. Earlier stints at McKinsey & Company and Mu Sigma saw him specialise in analytics-led marketing, predictive modelling and demand forecasting for large-scale clients.
His elevation comes as Adidas sharpens its digital muscle in key growth markets, where consumer journeys are increasingly fragmented and performance accountability is non-negotiable. The mandate is clear: fuse creativity with data, and turn every consumer interaction into measurable value.
In a market where clicks must convert and brand love must sell, Kadian now sits at the nerve centre of adidas’s digital ambition—where strategy meets scale, and data decides the winners.
